Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment

The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, or USD(A&S), is a senior civilian official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the Department of Defense. USD(A&S) is the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense for all matters concerning Departmental acquisition and sustainment.

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Flag of an Under Secretary of Defense
Incumbent
Stacy Cummings
(Acting)
since 20 January 2021
Office of the Secretary of Defense
StyleMadam Under Secretary
The Honorable
(formal address in writing)
Reports toSecretary of Defense
Deputy Secretary of Defense
AppointerThe President
with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term lengthNo fixed term
Formation2018
Succession5th in SecDef succession
DeputyThe Deputy Under Secretary
SalaryLevel III of the Executive Schedule
Websitewww.acq.osd.mil

The Under Secretary is appointed from civilian life by the President with the consent of the Senate to serve at the pleasure of the President.

Ellen Lord became the first Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment on 1 February 2018, after serving as the final Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.[1]

Overview

The Office is the principal staff element for the Department of Defense for acquisitions, advanced technology, and logistics. As the Department's chief administrative officer, the Under Secretary oversees installation management, military construction, occupational health management, utilities and energy management; business management modernization, document services, and nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs.

History

The Military Retirement Reform Act of 1986 created the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition (USD(A)), which was implemented with the issuance of Department of Defense Directive 5134.1 in February 1987. As part of this act, the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) was redesignated as the Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E), a lower-ranking position which reported to the new USD(A).

The title of USD(A) was changed to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology (USD(A&T)) by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, and the position was later redesignated as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000. The USD(AT&L) served as the principal assistant to the Secretary of Defense for research and development, production, procurement, logistics, and military construction.[2]

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 removed the position of USD(AT&L), and in its place it created the position of USD(R&E) once again, as well as the new position of USD(A&S). These changes took effect on 1 February 2018. As part of the reorganization, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness (ASD(L&MR)) and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment (ASD(EI&E)) positions were combined into a new Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment.[1][3]

Organization

As of the July 2018 reorganization, officials reporting to the USD(A&S) include:[4]

  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
    • Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Management and Analysis
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information and Integration Portfolio Management
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Services and Business Systems
    • Director, Contracting
    • Defense Acquisition University
    • Defense Contract Management Agency
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment
    • Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Enterprise Solutions
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Support
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Materiel Readiness
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Infrastructure
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Facilities Management
    • Office of Economic Adjustment
    • Defense Logistics Agency
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters
    • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense Programs
    • Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy
  • Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell
  • Office of Special Programs
  • Office of Strategy, Data, and Design
  • Office of International Coopration

Office of the Under Secretary

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)), a unit of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, supervises all Department of Defense acquisitions, including procurement of goods and services, research and development, developmental testing, and contract administration, for all elements of the Department. Led by the Under Secretary, OUSD(A&S) oversees logistics, maintenance, and sustainment support for all elements of the Department and establishes policies for the maintenance of the defense industrial base of the United States.

The work of OUSD(A&S) is conducted through its several staff directorates, including:

  • Human Capital Initiatives Directorate - responsible for executing all workforce responsibilities identified by the Secretary of Defense
  • Acquisition Resources and Analyses Directorate - integrates the diverse aspects of Defense acquisition into a balanced and coherent program that supports the National Strategy and makes the most effective use of resources provided
  • International Cooperation Directorate - supports the Under Secretary in all aspects of international cooperation, develops policy for international cooperative armaments programs, and provides the Under Secretary a single, integrated picture of international cooperative activities
  • Special Programs Directorate - manages the DoD Special Access Program (SAP) management and control structures
  • Small Business Programs Directorate - advises the Secretary of Defense on all matters related to small business and is committed to maximizing the contributions of small business in DoD acquisitions
  • Administration Directorate - serves as the central focal point for all OUSD(AT&L) civilian and military personnel programs, organizational management, space, facilities, supply management, security, information management, travel, budgeting, and training
  • Defense Procurement & Acquisition Policy Directorate - responsible for all acquisition and procurement policy matters in the Department, including serving as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary on acquisition/procurement strategies for all major weapon systems programs, major automated information systems programs, and services acquisitions
  • Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell - provides a single point of contact in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for tracking the timeliness of immediate warfighter need actions for the senior leadership and facilitating coordination with other government agencies
  • Defense Science Board - provides senior Department leadership independent advice and recommendations on scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition process, and other matters of special interest to the Department
  • Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy - responsible for ensuring that Department policies, procedures, and actions:
    • stimulate and support vigorous competition and innovation in the industrial base supporting defense
    • establish and sustain cost-effective industrial and technological capabilities that assure military readiness and superiority

Office holders
Portrait Name Tenure SecDef(s) Served Under President(s) Served Under
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
Richard P. Godwin30 September 1986 – 30 September 1987Caspar W. WeinbergerRonald Reagan
Robert B. Costello18 December 1987 – 12 May 1989Frank C. Carlucci III
William Howard Taft IV (Acting)
Richard B. Cheney		Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
John A. Betti11 August 1989 – 31 December 1990Richard B. CheneyGeorge H. W. Bush
Donald J. Yockey1 January 1991 – 20 January 1991 (Acting)
20 June 1991 – 20 January 1993		Richard B. CheneyGeorge H. W. Bush
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology
John M. Deutch2 April 1993 – 11 March 1994Leslie Aspin, Jr.
William J. Perry		Bill Clinton
Paul G. Kaminski3 October 1994 – 16 May 1997William J. Perry
William S. Cohen		Bill Clinton
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Jacques S. Gansler10 November 1997 – 5 January 2001William S. CohenBill Clinton
Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.10 May 2001 – 23 May 2003Donald H. RumsfeldGeorge W. Bush
Michael W. Wynne (Acting)23 May 2003 - June 2005Donald H. RumsfeldGeorge W. Bush
Kenneth J. Krieg[5]6 June 2005[6] - 20 July 2007[7]Donald H. Rumsfeld
Robert M. Gates		George W. Bush
John J. Young, Jr.[8][9]July 2007 - 21 November 2007 (Acting)
21 November 2007 – 27 April 2009		Robert M. GatesGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Ashton Carter[10]27 April 2009 – 5 October 2011Robert M. Gates
Leon Panetta		Barack Obama
Frank Kendall III[11]6 October 2011 – 20 January 2017Leon Panetta
Chuck Hagel
Ash Carter		Barack Obama
Jimmy MacStravic[12] 20 January 2017 – 7 August 2017 (Performing the Duties of) James Mattis Donald Trump
Ellen Lord 7 August 2017 – 1 February 2018 James Mattis Donald Trump
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Ellen Lord[13] 1 February 2018 – present James Mattis

Patrick M. Shanahan (acting)

Mark Esper (acting)

Richard V. Spencer (acting)

Mark Esper

 Donald Trump
Stacey Cummings[14] 20 January 2020 – present James Mattis

David L. Norquist (acting) Lloyd Austin

 Joe Biden
Principal Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics[2]
Name Tenure USD(s) Served Under SecDef(s) Served Under President(s) Served Under
Milton Lohr 3 October 1988 – 12 May 1989 Robert B. Costello Richard B. Cheney George H.W. Bush
Donald J. Yockey 12 March 1990 – 20 January 1991 John A. Betti Richard B. Cheney George H.W. Bush
Donald C. Fraser 4 December 1991 – 13 January 1993 Donald J. Yockey Richard B. Cheney George H.W. Bush
Noel Longuemare, Jr. 18 November 1993 – 21 November 1997 John M. Deutch
Paul G. Kaminski
Jacques S. Gansler		 Leslie Aspin, Jr.
William J. Perry
William S. Cohen		 Bill Clinton
David Oliver 1 June 1998 – 14 July 2001 Jacques S. Gansler
Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.		 William S. Cohen
Donald H. Rumsfeld		 Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Michael W. Wynne 17 July 2001 - 2005 Edward C. Aldridge, Jr. Donald H. Rumsfeld George W. Bush
Frank Kendall III 8 March 2010 – 5 October 2011 Ashton Carter Robert M. Gates
Leon Panetta		 Barack Obama
Alan Estevez 6 October 2011 – 20 January 2017 Frank Kendall III Leon Panetta
Chuck Hagel
Ash Carter		 Barack Obama
Vacant 20 January 2017 – 1 February 2018 Ellen Lord James Mattis Donald Trump

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See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document: "Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Department of Defense".

  1. Mehta, Aaron (2 February 2018). "The Pentagon's acquisition office is gone. Here's what the next 120 days bring". Defense News. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. "Department of Defense Key Officials" (PDF). Historical Office, OSD. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  3. "Report to Congress: Restructuring the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Organization and Chief Management Officer Organization" (PDF). 1 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  4. Mehta, Aaron (17 July 2018). "Revealed: The new structure for the Pentagon's tech and acquisition offices". Defense News. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  5. https://acc.dau.mil/CommunityBrowser.aspx?id=24690
  6. http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=8557
  7. "Pentagon's acquisition chief resigns". USA Today. 6 June 2007.
  8. https://acc.dau.mil/CommunityBrowser.aspx?id=167951
  9. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/11/mil-071121-dod01.htm
  10. http://www.defense.gov/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=186
  11. http://www.defense.gov/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=248
  12. Beny, Alan. "OUSD(AT&L) > About AT&L > Leadership > Biography of Frank Kendall, USD(AT&L)". www.acq.osd.mil. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  13. "Ellen M. Lord > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  14. https://www.acq.osd.mil/cummings.html
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