Secretary of Defense

The United States Secretary of Defense is responsible for the formulation and execution of general defense policy. He serves as principal defense policy adviser to the President and assists the President in the direction of the nation's security. Under the direction of the President, the Secretary exercises authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense, which is concerned with the armed services and military matters. The Secretary oversees the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, 15 defense agencies, and unified combatant commands. This comprises about 2.3 million Military (Active, Reserve, and Guard) and almost 700,000 Civilian employees. The Secretary of Defense is a member of the President's Cabinet and of the National Security Council.