Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs
 | This article needs to be updated. (April 2017) |
| United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of Defense | |
| United States Department of Defense | |
| Reports to | United States Secretary of Defense |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | Appointed |
| Website | Official website |
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, or ASD (HD&GS), is responsible for the supervision of DoD homeland defense activities, defense support of civil authorities, and cyber affairs for the Department of Defense.[1] The position was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (P.L. 107-314, passed 2 December 2002). In particular, the ASD (HD&GS) is responsible for homeland preparedness, oversight of the two combatant commands that cover North and South America, and the transfer of technologies to homeland security use, pursuant to Section 1401 of the 2003 DOD Authorization Act.[2] The ASD (HD&GS) reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.[3]
Precedent[]
At the end of the Eisenhower administration, a wide-ranging federal reorganization (Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1958) transferred to the president the civil defense responsibilities and authorities formerly assigned to the Federal Civil Defense Administration. In Executive Order 10952 (signed 20 July 1961), the president delegated these functions to the Secretary of Defense. The SecDef then created the post of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Civil Defense) on August 31, 1961, to help manage these responsibilities. Only one man, , ever held this post. His term in office ran September 20, 1961 - April 1, 1964, at which time the post was abolished.
The Office of Civil Defense then transitioned to the Secretary of the Army, but responsibility for civil defense was quickly assigned to the new Defense Civil Preparedness Agency (DCPA). After a Carter administration reorganization (Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 19 June 1978) led to the dissolution of DCPA in July 1979, the director of the new Federal Emergency Management Agency assumed responsibility for civil defense.[3] Nevertheless, DoD continued to maintain and develop resources for civil defense, but with dispersed, overlapping, and informal authorities for growing and coordinating them. The ASD (HD&GS) now provides a single point of contact at DoD for FEMA, state and local disaster management agencies, and executive policymakers in the event that these resources need to be enhanced or mobilized.
Office holders[]
The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.
| Name | Tenure | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul F. McHale | February 7, 2003 - January 20, 2009 | Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates |
George W. Bush |
| Paul N. Stockton | May 18, 2009 - January 22, 2013 | Robert M. Gates Leon Panetta |
Barack Obama |
| January 2013 - August, 2015 | Chuck Hagel | Barack Obama | |
| (acting) | August, 2015 - June 2017 | Ashton Carter | Barack Obama |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security | |||
| Kenneth Rapuano | June 21, 2017 - January 20, 2021 | James Mattis Mark Esper |
Donald Trump |
| (acting) | January 20, 2021 - April 29, 2021 | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden |
| (acting) | April 29, 2021 - present | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden |
References[]
- ^ "Biography: Paul N. Stockton". Defense.gov. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ "CNP Elects former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale to Board of Directors". Centerfornationalpolicy.org. May 18, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Department of Defense Key Officials" (PDF). Historical Office, OSD. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense