Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

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The Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, or USD(P&R) is a high-ranking civilian position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) within the United States Department of Defense^[1] responsible for advising the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on recruitment, career development, pay and benefits, and oversight of the state of military readiness. The Under Secretary is appointed from civilian life by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The USD(P&R) has oversight of the Defense Health Program, Defense Commissaries and Exchanges, Defense Education Activity, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, and the Defense Travel System. The USD(P&R) is also responsible for training, health affairs, National Guard and Reserve affairs, personnel requirements for weapons support, and military and civilian family matters, subject to the authority of the Secretary of Defense.^[2] Through the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, the United States Military Entrance Processing Command also reports to the Under Secretary.^[3]

When created in 1994, the USD(P&R) assumed authority primarily over three DoD offices: the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy. The ASD(FMP) has since been abolished, its responsibilities assumed by other officials reporting to the USD(P&R).

History

The position was first mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (P.L. 103-160), signed by President Clinton on November 30, 1993.^[4] Defense Directive 5124.2, passed 17 March 1994, officially established the position, incorporating the functions of the Assistant Secretary of Defense(Force Management and Personnel) and authorizing authority over the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.^[5] Since the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 was signed on October 5, 1999, the Under Secretary has been responsible for establishing standards on deployment of units away from assigned duty stations, the length of time they may be away for a deployment away from assigned duty stations, and for establishing systems for reporting tracking deployments.^[6]

Organization

The USD(P&R) has authority over the following officials:

• Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, or PDASD(P&R)
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
• Director of Defense Human Resources Activity
• Director for Requirements and Strategic Integration
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy*
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy*
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness*
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy*
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy*

Those positions noted with an * were, prior to the Obama administration, known as "Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense," and were considered part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Along with the PDASD(P&R), these officials largely absorbed their responsibilities from the portfolio of the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy, a position abolished in 2002.

Office Holders

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

The USD(P&R) is supported by a principal deputy. Established as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) by the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002 (P.L. 107-107), the post took over the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy, which was then abolished. The DUSD(P&R) was re-designated Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), or PDUSD(P&R) in July 2003 by DoD Directive 5124.8.^[5] The post is now referred to as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, or PDASD(P&R). The PDASD(P&R) is delegated full power and authority to act for the USD(P&R) and exercise the powers of the USD(P&R) on any and all matters that the USD(P&R) is authorized to act, except in those areas where delegation of the USD(P&R) authority is otherwise restricted by higher authority or prohibited by law. The PDASD(P&R) also helps manage the five DASDs (previously known as DUSDs) that now make up the office of the USD(P&R).^[9]

References