United States Secretary of Defense to die was Frank Carlucci (1987–1989), on 3 June 2018. United States Secretary of Defense The Secretary of Defense (SecDef) is the leader and chief executive officer of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the Armed Forces of the United States. The Secretary of Defense's position of command and authority over the United States' military is second only to that of the President and Congress, respectively. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in many other countries. The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President with the advice and consent
Kenneth P. Bergquist (Department of Defense) Department of the Army. In 1986, he became Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice's Office of Legislative Affairs. On June 9, 1987, President of the United States Ronald Reagan announced the nomination of Bergquist as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict). Less than a year later, President Reagan nominated Bergquist as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), and Bergquist subsequently held this office from June 1988 until November 1989. He later served as Associate Coordinator for Counterterrorism. In 2001, at the request of the Chairman of the Joint