Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
In the United States military, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASD (M&RA)), formerly Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (ASD (RA))[1] serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, with responsibility for "overall policies and procedures of [U.S.] Total Force manpower, personnel and reserve affairs,"[2] including the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve. The ASD (M&RA) reports directly to the Under Secretary of Defense (P&R) and exercises authority, direction, and control over the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.[3] On April 23, 2021, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Brenda Sue Fulton, an openly lesbian veteran and West Point alumna, to the position.[4]
Responsibilities[]
According to a Statement of Intent signed by the ASD(M&RA), the purpose of the office is "to set the conditions for a sustainable, seamlessly integrated and complementary total force." To do so, the ASD(M&RA) seeks to "proactively deliver credible advice and information about the capabilities of the reserve components," and "develop the policies and resources necessary to fully exploit those capabilities."[5] The language of these statements is precise and deliberate. As the Statement of Intent explains:
- The ASD(M&RA) "sets the conditions" because the individual armed services must integrate the forces themselves.
- “Seamlessly integrated” and “complementary” are characteristics of a reserve force that can augment and reinforce the active components in every facet of the National Security Strategy. These characteristics imply an absence of friction and a mutually supporting force structure.
- A “total force” is the combination of active and reserve components that service chiefs provide willingly, and that unified combatant commanders can utilize effectively.
- “Delivering credible advice and information” requires fidelity to fact and a humility that avoids boastfulness and over-promising.
- “Resources” include modern and well-positioned equipment and facilities, and the assets necessary for a force that is trained for both irregular and conventional warfare prior to mobilization and deployment.
- To "exploit" reserve capabilities means “to take full advantage” of them. In business, it would mean a high return on investment.
The Statement of Intent also sets out a metric for this office's performance: "Our success will be measured by the degree to which we have advanced a culture of mutual appreciation and confidence in both the active and reserve components."[5]
History[]
This position was mandated by the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-94, passed 24 September 1983), and established by Defense Directive 5125.1, signed 12 January 1984. The reserve affairs functions were transferred in from the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics).[6]
Section 902 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 113-291, 19 December 2014) redesignated the position as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. [7]
Office holders[]
| Name | Tenure | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Webb | May 3, 1984 - April 10, 1987 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan |
| Stephen M. Duncan | October 26, 1987 - January 20, 1993 | Caspar W. Weinberger Frank C. Carlucci III William H. Taft IV (Acting) Richard B. Cheney |
Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Deborah R. Lee | June 1, 1993 - April 11, 1998 | Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry William S. Cohen |
Bill Clinton |
| Charles L. Cragin | April 12, 1998 - August 3, 1999 (Acting) Aug 4, 1999 - May 31, 2001 (PDASD, in charge) |
William S. Cohen Donald H. Rumsfeld |
Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Thomas F. Hall | October 9, 2002 - April 2009 | Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates |
George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Dennis M. McCarthy[8] | June 25, 2009 - April 19, 2011 | Robert M. Gates | Barack Obama |
| David McGinnis (Acting) | April 19, 2011 - May 24, 2012 | Leon Panetta | Barack Obama |
| Jessica L. Wright | May 24, 2012 - December 31, 2013 | Leon Panetta | Barack Obama |
| Richard O. Wightman, Jr. (Acting) | January 1, 2014 - August 2015 | Chuck Hagel | Barack Obama |
| Todd A. Weiler | March 21, 2016 - January 20, 2017 | Ashton Carter | Barack Obama |
| Stephanie Barna (Performing the Duties of) | January 20, 2017 - October 21, 2018 | James Mattis | Donald Trump |
| James N. Stewart | October 22, 2018 - December 13, 2019 | James Mattis | Donald Trump |
| Matthew Donovan | December 13, 2019 - January 20, 2021 | Mark Esper | Donald Trump |
References[]
- ^ "10 U.S. Code § 138 - Assistant Secretaries of Defense".
- ^ "Inside M&RA".
- ^ a b "Department of Defense Key Officials" (PDF). Historical Office, OSD. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ^ "President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations in National Security". 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Manpower & Reserve Affairs" (PDF).
- ^ "Defense Manpower Data Center". CSPAN.
- ^ "Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015". 19 December 2014.
- ^ "Manpower & Reserve Affairs".
- United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense