§ 131. Office of the Secretary of Defense

• (a) There is in the Department of Defense an Office of the Secretary of Defense. The function of the Office is to assist the Secretary of Defense in carrying out the Secretary’s duties and responsibilities and to carry out such other duties as may be prescribed by law.
• (b) The Office of the Secretary of Defense is composed of the following:
  • (1) The Deputy Secretary of Defense.
  • (2) The Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense.
  • (3) The Under Secretaries of Defense, as follows:
    • (A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
    • (B) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
    • (C) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
    • (D) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
    • (E) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
    • (F) The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
  • (4) Other officers who are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who report directly to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary without intervening authority, as follows:
    • (A) The Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation.
    • (B) The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
    • (C) The General Counsel of the Department of Defense.
    • (D) The Inspector General of the Department of Defense.
  • (5) The Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense, who reports directly to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary without intervening authority.
  • (6) The Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense.
  • (7) The Assistant Secretaries of Defense.
  • (8) Other officials provided for by law, as follows:
    • (A) The two Deputy Directors within the Office of the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation under section 139a(c) of this title .
    • (B) The Director of Small Business Programs appointed pursuant to section 144 of this title .
    • (C) The official designated under section 1501(a) of this title to have responsibility for Department of Defense matters relating to missing persons as set forth in section 1501 of this title .
    • (D) The Director of Military Family Readiness Policy under section 1781 of this title .
    • (E) The Director of the Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight assigned pursuant to section 2228(a) of this title .
    • (F) The official designated under section 2438(a) of this title to have responsibility for conducting and overseeing performance assessments and root cause analyses for major defense acquisition programs.
  • (9) Such other offices and officials as may be established by law or the Secretary of Defense may establish or designate in the Office.
• (c) Officers of the armed forces may be assigned or detailed to permanent duty in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. However, the Secretary may not establish a military staff in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
• (d) The Secretary of each military department, and the civilian employees and members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, shall cooperate fully with personnel of the Office of the Secretary of Defense to achieve efficient administration of the Department of Defense and to carry out effectively the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense.

§ 132. Deputy Secretary of Defense

• (a) There is a Deputy Secretary of Defense, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Deputy Secretary shall be appointed from among persons most highly qualified for the position by reason of background and experience, including persons with appropriate management experience. A person may not be appointed as Deputy Secretary of Defense within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.
• (b) The Deputy Secretary shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe. The Deputy Secretary shall act for, and exercise the powers of, the Secretary when the Secretary dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office.
• (c) The Deputy Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense immediately after the Secretary.
• (d) Until September 30, 2020 , the Deputy Secretary of Defense shall lead the Guam Oversight Council and shall be the Department of Defense’s principal representative for coordinating the interagency efforts in matters relating to Guam, including the following executive orders:
  • (1) Executive Order No. 13299 of May 12, 2003 (68 Fed. Reg. 25477; 48 U.S.C. note prec. 1451; relating to the Interagency Group on Insular Affairs).
  • (2) Executive Order No. 12788 of January 15, 1992 , as amended (57 Fed. Reg. 2213; relating to the Defense Economic Adjustment Program).

§ 132a. Chief Management Officer

• (a)
  • (1) There is a Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
  • (2) The Chief Management Officer shall be appointed from among persons who have an extensive management or business background and experience with managing large or complex organizations. A person may not be appointed as Chief Management Officer within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.
• (b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chief Management Officer shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary may prescribe, including the following:
  • (1) Serving as the chief management officer of the Department of Defense with the mission of managing enterprise business operations and shared services of the Department of Defense.
  • (2) Serving as the principal advisor to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary on establishing policies for, and directing, all enterprise business operations of the Department, including planning and processes, business transformation, and performance measurement and management activities and programs, including the allocation of resources for enterprise business operations and unifying business management efforts across the Department.
  • (3) Exercising authority, direction, and control over the Defense Agencies and Department of Defense Field Activities providing shared business services for the Department that are designated by the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary for purposes of this paragraph.
  • (4) Authority to direct the Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of all other elements of the Department with regard to matters for which the Chief Management Officer has responsibility under this section.
  • (5) Serving as the official with principal responsibility in the Department for minimizing the duplication of efforts, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness, and establishing metrics for performance among and for all organizations and elements of the Department.
• (c)
  • (1)
    • (A) Beginning in fiscal year 2020, the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), shall require the head of each Defense Agency and Department of Defense Field Activity specified by the Secretary for purposes of this subsection to transmit the proposed budget of such Agency or Activity for enterprise business operations for a fiscal year, and for the period covered by the future-years defense program submitted to Congress under section 221 of this title for that fiscal year, to the Chief Management Officer for review under subparagraph (B) at the same time the proposed budget is submitted to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
    • (B) The Chief Management Officer shall review each proposed budget transmitted under subparagraph (A) and, not later than January 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year for which the budget is proposed, shall submit to the Secretary a report containing the comments of the Chief Management Officer with respect to all such proposed budgets, together with the certification of the Chief Management Officer regarding whether each such proposed budget achieves the required level of efficiency and effectiveness for enterprise business operations, consistent with guidance for budget review established by the Chief Management Officer.
    • (C) Not later than March 31 each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes the following:
      • (i) Each proposed budget for the enterprise business operations of a Defense Agency or Department of Defense Field Activity that was transmitted to the Chief Management Officer under subparagraph (A).
      • (ii) Identification of each proposed budget contained in the most recent report submitted under subparagraph (B) that the Chief Management Officer did not certify as achieving the required level of efficiency and effectiveness for enterprise business operations.
      • (iii) A discussion of the actions that the Secretary proposes to take, together with any recommended legislation that the Secretary considers appropriate, to address inadequate levels of efficiency and effectiveness for enterprise business operations achieved by the proposed budgets identified in the report.
      • (iv) Any additional comments that the Secretary considers appropriate regarding inadequate levels of efficiency and effectiveness for enterprise business operations achieved by the proposed budgets.
  • (2) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to modify or interfere with the budget-related responsibilities of the Director of National Intelligence.
• (d) The Chief Management Officer takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
• (e) In this section, the term “enterprise business operations” means those activities that constitute the cross-cutting business operations used by multiple components of the Department of Defense, but not those activities that are directly tied to a single military department or Department of Defense component. The term includes business-support functions designated by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense for purposes of this section, such as aspects of financial management, healthcare, acquisition and procurement, supply chain and logistics, certain information technology, real property, and human resources operations.

§ 133a. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

• (a) There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Under Secretary shall be appointed from among persons who have an extensive technology, science, or engineering background and experience with managing complex or advanced technological programs. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.
• (b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary may prescribe, including—
  • (1) serving as the chief technology officer of the Department of Defense with the mission of advancing technology and innovation for the armed forces (and the Department);
  • (2) establishing policies on, and supervising, all defense research and engineering, technology development, technology transition, appropriate prototyping activities, experimentation, and developmental testing activities and programs and unifying defense research and engineering efforts across the Department; and
  • (3) serving as the principal advisor to the Secretary on all research, engineering, and technology development activities and programs in the Department.
• (c)
  • (1) With regard to all matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility by the direction of the Secretary of Defense or by law, the Under Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense.
  • (2) With regard to all matters other than the matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility by the direction of the Secretary or by law, the Under Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the Chief Management Officer, and the Secretaries of the military departments.

§ 133b. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment

• (a) There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Under Secretary shall be appointed from among persons who have an extensive system development, engineering, production, or management background and experience with managing complex programs. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.
• (b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary may prescribe, including—
  • (1) serving as the chief acquisition and sustainment officer of the Department of Defense with the mission of delivering and sustaining timely, cost-effective capabilities for the armed forces (and the Department);
  • (2) establishing policies on, and supervising, all elements of the Department relating to acquisition (including system design, development, appropriate prototyping activities, and production, and procurement of goods and services) and sustainment (including logistics, maintenance, and materiel readiness);
  • (3) establishing policies for access to, and maintenance of, the defense industrial base and materials critical to national security, and policies on contract administration;
  • (4) establishing policies for, and providing oversight, guidance, and coordination with respect to, the nuclear command, control, and communications system;
  • (5) serving as—
    • (A) the principal advisor to the Secretary on acquisition and sustainment in the Department;
    • (B) the senior procurement executive for the Department for the purposes of section 1702(c) of title 41 ; and
    • (C) the Defense Acquisition Executive for purposes of regulations and procedures of the Department providing for a Defense Acquisition Executive;
  • (6) overseeing the modernization of nuclear forces, including the nuclear command, control, and communications system, and the development of capabilities to counter weapons of mass destruction, and serving as the chairman of the Nuclear Weapons Council and the co-chairman of the Council on Oversight of the National Leadership Command, Control, and Communications System;
  • (7) the authority to direct the Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of all other elements of the Department with regard to matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility, except that the Under Secretary shall exercise advisory authority over service acquisition programs for which the service acquisition executive is the milestone decision authority; and
  • (8) to the extent directed by the Secretary, exercising overall supervision of all personnel (civilian and military) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense with regard to matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility, unless otherwise provided by law.
• (c)
  • (1) With regard to all matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility by the direction of the Secretary of Defense or by law, the Under Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
  • (2) With regard to all matters other than the matters for which the Under Secretary has responsibility by the direction of the Secretary or by law, the Under Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the Chief Management Officer, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and the Secretaries of the military departments.

§ 134. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

• (a) There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.
• (b)
  • (1) The Under Secretary shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.
  • (2) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary shall be responsible and have overall direction and supervision for—
    • (A) the development, implementation, and integration across the Department of Defense of the National Defense Strategy (as described by section 113 of this title ) and strategic policy guidance for the activities of the Department of Defense across all geographic regions and military functions and domains;
    • (B) the integration of the activities of the Department into the National Security Strategy of the United States;
    • (C) the development of policy guidance for the preparation of campaign and contingency plans by the combatant commands, and for the review of such plans;
    • (D) the preparation of policy guidance for the development of the global force posture; and
    • (E) the development of the Defense Planning Guidance that guides the formulation of program and budget requests by the military departments and other elements of the Department.
  • (3) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary shall have responsibility for supervising and directing activities of the Department of Defense relating to export controls.
  • (4) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy shall have overall direction and supervision for policy, program planning and execution, and allocation and use of resources for the activities of the Department of Defense for combating terrorism.
  • (5) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary shall coordinate with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation to—
    • (A) develop planning scenarios that describe the present and future strategic and operational environments by which to assess joint force capabilities and readiness; and
    • (B) develop specific objectives that the joint force should be ready to achieve, and conduct assessments of the capability (in terms of both capacity and readiness) of the joint force to achieve such objectives.
• (c) The Under Secretary takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and the Secretaries of the military departments.

§ 135. Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)

• (a)
  • (1) There is an Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of the armed forces.
  • (2) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall be appointed from among persons who have significant budget, financial management, or audit experience in complex organizations.
• (b) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is the agency Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Defense for the purposes of chapter 9 of title 31. The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall perform the duties assigned to the Under Secretary in section 2222 of this title and such additional duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.
• (c) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall advise and assist the Secretary of Defense—
  • (1) in performing such budgetary and fiscal functions and duties, and in exercising such budgetary and fiscal powers, as are needed to carry out the powers of the Secretary;
  • (2) in supervising and directing the preparation of budget estimates of the Department of Defense;
  • (3) in establishing and supervising the execution of principles, policies, and procedures to be followed in connection with organizational and administrative matters relating to—
    • (A) the preparation and execution of budgets;
    • (B) fiscal, cost, operating, and capital property accounting; and
    • (C) progress and statistical reporting;
  • (4) in establishing and supervising the execution of policies and procedures relating to the expenditure and collection of funds administered by the Department of Defense; and
  • (5) in establishing uniform terminologies, classifications, and procedures concerning matters covered by paragraphs (1) through (4).
• (d) In addition to any duties under subsection (c), the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall, subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, do the following:
  • (1) Provide guidance and instruction on annual performance plans and evaluations to the following:
    • (A) The Assistant Secretaries of the military departments for financial management.
    • (B) Any other official of an agency, organization, or element of the Department of Defense with responsibility for financial management.
  • (2) Give directions to the military departments, Defense Agencies, and other organizations and elements of the Department of Defense regarding their financial statements and the audit and audit readiness of such financial statements.
• (e) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
• (f) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall ensure that each of the congressional defense committees is informed, in a timely manner, regarding all matters relating to the budgetary, fiscal, and analytic activities of the Department of Defense that are under the supervision of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

§ 136. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

• (a) There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of the armed forces.
• (b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe in the areas of military readiness, total force management, military and civilian personnel requirements, military and civilian personnel training, military and civilian family matters, exchange, commissary, and nonappropriated fund activities, personnel requirements for weapons support, National Guard and reserve components, and health affairs.
• (c) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
• (d) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness is responsible, subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, for the monitoring of the operations tempo and personnel tempo of the armed forces. The Under Secretary shall establish, to the extent practicable, uniform standards within the Department of Defense for terminology and policies relating to deployment of units and personnel away from their assigned duty stations (including the length of time units or personnel may be away for such a deployment) and shall establish uniform reporting systems for tracking deployments.

§ 137. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

• (a) There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of the armed forces.
• (b) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security shall—
  • (1) have responsibility for the overall direction and supervision for policy, program planning and execution, and use of resources, for the activities of the Department of Defense that are part of the Military Intelligence Program;
  • (2) execute the functions for the National Intelligence Program of the Department of Defense under section 105 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3038 ), as delegated by the Secretary of Defense;
  • (3) have responsibility for the overall direction and supervision for policy, program planning and execution, and use of resources, for personnel security, physical security, industrial security, and the protection of classified information and controlled unclassified information, related activities of the Department of Defense; and
  • (4) perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe in the area of intelligence.
• (c) The protection of privacy and civil liberties in accordance with Federal law and the regulations and directives of the Department of Defense shall be a top priority for the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
• (d) The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

§ 137a. Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense

• (a)
  • (1) There are six Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense.
  • (2) The Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense shall be appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
  • (3) The officials authorized under this section shall be the only Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense.
• (b) Each Deputy Under Secretary of Defense shall be the first assistant to an Under Secretary of Defense and shall assist such Under Secretary in the performance of the duties of the position of such Under Secretary and shall act for, and exercise the powers of, such Under Secretary when such Under Secretary dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office.
• (c)
  • (1) One of the Deputy Under Secretaries is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
  • (2) One of the Deputy Under Secretaries is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
  • (3) One of the Deputy Under Secretaries is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
  • (4) One of the Deputy Under Secretaries is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
  • (5) One of the Deputy Under Secretaries is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
  • (6) One of the Deputy Under Secretaries is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, who shall be appointed from among persons who have extensive expertise in intelligence matters.
• (d) The Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense take precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense, the Secretaries of the military departments, and the Under Secretaries of Defense. The Deputy Under Secretaries shall take precedence among themselves in the order prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

§ 138. Assistant Secretaries of Defense

• (a)
  • (1) There are 13 Assistant Secretaries of Defense.
  • (2) The Assistant Secretaries of Defense shall be appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• (b)
  • (1) The Assistant Secretaries shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.
  • (2) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. He shall have as his principal duty the overall supervision (including oversight of policy and resources) of special operations activities (as defined in section 167(j) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of this title) and low intensity conflict activities of the Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary is the principal civilian adviser to the Secretary of Defense on special operations and low intensity conflict matters and (after the Secretary and Deputy Secretary) is the principal special operations and low intensity conflict official within the senior management of the Department of Defense. Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Secretary shall do the following:
    • (A) Exercise authority, direction, and control of all special-operations peculiar administrative matters relating to the organization, training, and equipping of special operations forces.
    • (B) Assist the Secretary and the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the development and supervision of policy, program planning and execution, and allocation and use of resources for the activities of the Department of Defense for the following:
      • (i) Irregular warfare, combating terrorism, and the special operations activities specified by section 167(k) of this title .
      • (ii) Integrating the functional activities of the headquarters of the Department to most efficiently and effectively provide for required special operations forces and capabilities.
      • (iii) Such other matters as may be specified by the Secretary and the Under Secretary.
  • (3) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. He shall have as his principal duty the overall supervision of legislative affairs of the Department of Defense.
  • (4) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs. The Assistant Secretary may communicate views on issues within the responsibility of the Assistant Secretary directly to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense without obtaining the approval or concurrence of any other official within the Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary shall—
    • (A) advise the Secretary of Defense on nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and chemical and biological defense;
    • (B) serve as the Staff Director of the Nuclear Weapons Council established by section 179 of this title ; and
    • (C) perform such additional duties as the Secretary may prescribe.
  • (5) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. The principal duty of the Assistant Secretary shall be the overall supervision of policy of the Department of Defense for space warfighting.
• (c) Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, an Assistant Secretary may not issue an order to a military department unless—
  • (1) the Secretary of Defense has specifically delegated that authority to the Assistant Secretary in writing; and
  • (2) the order is issued through the Secretary of the military department concerned.
• (d) The Assistant Secretaries take precedence in the Department of Defense after the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense, the Secretaries of the military departments, the Under Secretaries of Defense, the officials serving in positions specified in section 131(b)(4) of this title , and the Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense. The Assistant Secretaries take precedence among themselves in the order prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

§ 139. Director of Operational Test and Evaluation

• (a)
  • (1) There is a Director of Operational Test and Evaluation in the Department of Defense, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the office of Director. The Director may be removed from office by the President. The President shall communicate the reasons for any such removal to both Houses of Congress.
  • (2) In this section:
    • (A) The term “operational test and evaluation” means—
      • (i) the field test, under realistic combat conditions, of any item of (or key component of) weapons, equipment, or munitions for the purpose of determining the effectiveness and suitability of the weapons, equipment, or munitions for use in combat by typical military users; and
      • (ii) the evaluation of the results of such test.
    • (B) The term “major defense acquisition program” means a Department of Defense acquisition program that is a major defense acquisition program for purposes of section 2430 of this title or that is designated as such a program by the Director for purposes of this section.
• (b) The Director is the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering on operational test and evaluation in the Department of Defense and the principal operational test and evaluation official within the senior management of the Department of Defense. The Director shall—
  • (1) prescribe, by authority of the Secretary of Defense, policies and procedures for the conduct of operational test and evaluation in the Department of Defense;
  • (2) provide guidance to and consult with the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Secretaries of the military departments with respect to operational test and evaluation in the Department of Defense in general and with respect to specific operational test and evaluation to be conducted in connection with a major defense acquisition program;
  • (3) monitor and review all operational test and evaluation in the Department of Defense;
  • (4) coordinate operational testing conducted jointly by more than one military department or defense agency;
  • (5) review and make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on all budgetary and financial matters relating to operational test and evaluation, including operational test facilities and equipment, in the Department of Defense; and
  • (6) monitor and review the live fire testing activities of the Department of Defense provided for under section 2366 of this title .
• (c) The Director may communicate views on matters within the responsibility of the Director directly to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense without obtaining the approval or concurrence of any other official within the Department of Defense. The Director shall consult closely with, but the Director and the Director’s staff are independent of, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and all other officers and entities of the Department of Defense responsible for acquisition.
• (d) The Director may not be assigned any responsibility for developmental test and evaluation, other than the provision of advice to officials responsible for such testing.
• (e)
  • (1) The Secretary of a military department shall report promptly to the Director the results of all operational test and evaluation conducted by the military department and of all studies conducted by the military department in connection with operational test and evaluation in the military department.
  • (2) The Director may require that such observers as he designates be present during the preparation for and the conduct of the test part of any operational test and evaluation conducted in the Department of Defense.
  • (3) The Director shall have access to all records and data in the Department of Defense (including the records and data of each military department) that the Director considers necessary to review in order to carry out his duties under this section.
  • (4) The Director shall have prompt access to all data regarding modeling and simulation activity proposed to be used by military departments and defense agencies in support of operational or live fire test and evaluation of military capabilities. This access shall include data associated with verification, validation, and accreditation activities.
• (f)
  • (1) The Director of the Missile Defense Agency shall make available to the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation the results of all tests and evaluations conducted by the Missile Defense Agency and of all studies conducted by the Missile Defense Agency in connection with tests and evaluations in the Missile Defense Agency.
  • (2) The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation may require that such observers as the Director designates be present during the preparation for and the conducting of any test and evaluation conducted by the Missile Defense Agency.
  • (3) The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation shall have access to all records and data in the Department of Defense (including the records and data of the Missile Defense Agency) that the Director considers necessary to review in order to carry out his duties under this subsection.
• (g) The Director shall ensure that safety concerns developed during the operational test and evaluation of a weapon system under a major defense acquisition program are communicated in a timely manner to the program manager for that program for consideration in the acquisition decisionmaking process.
• (h)
  • (1) The Director shall prepare an annual report summarizing the operational test and evaluation activities (including live fire testing activities) of the Department of Defense during the preceding fiscal year.
  • (2) Each such report shall be submitted concurrently to the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering,, 1 1 So in original. the Secretaries of the military departments, and the Congress not later than January 31 of each year, through January 31, 2025 .
  • (3) If the Director submits the report to Congress in a classified form, the Director shall concurrently submit an unclassified version of the report to Congress.
  • (4) The report shall include such comments and recommendations as the Director considers appropriate, including comments and recommendations on resources and facilities available for operational test and evaluation and levels of funding made available for operational test and evaluation activities. The report for a fiscal year shall also include an assessment of the waivers of and deviations from requirements in test and evaluation master plans and other testing requirements that occurred during the fiscal year, any concerns raised by the waivers or deviations, and the actions that have been taken or are planned to be taken to address the concerns.
  • (5) The Director shall solicit comments from the Secretaries of the military departments on each report of the Director to Congress under this section and include any comments as an appendix to the Director’s report. The Director shall determine the amount of time available for the Secretaries to comment on the draft report on a case by case basis, and consider the extent to which substantive discussions have already been held between the Director and the military department. The Director shall reserve the right to issue the report without comment from a military department if the department’s comments are not received within the time provided, and shall indicate any such omission in the report.
• (i) The Director shall comply with requests from Congress (or any committee of either House of Congress) for information relating to operational test and evaluation in the Department of Defense.
• (j) The President shall include in the Budget transmitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31 for each fiscal year a separate statement of estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for that fiscal year for the activities of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Director under this section.
• (k) The Director shall have sufficient professional staff of military and civilian personnel to enable the Director to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Director prescribed by law.

§ 139a. Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation

• (a) There is a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Department of Defense, appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• (b)
  • (1) The Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation is the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and other senior officials of the Department of Defense, and shall provide independent analysis and advice to such officials, on the following matters:
    • (A) Matters assigned to the Director pursuant to this section and section 2334 of this title .
    • (B) Matters assigned to the Director by the Secretary pursuant to section 113 of this title .
  • (2) The Director may communicate views on matters within the responsibility of the Director directly to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense without obtaining the approval or concurrence of any other official within the Department of Defense.
• (c) There are two Deputy Directors within the Office of the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, as follows:
  • (1) The Deputy Director for Cost Assessment.
  • (2) The Deputy Director for Program Evaluation.
• (d) The Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation shall serve as the principal official within the senior management of the Department of Defense for the following:
  • (1) Cost estimation and cost analysis for acquisition programs of the Department of Defense, and carrying out the duties assigned pursuant to section 2334 of this title .
  • (2) Analysis and advice on matters relating to the planning and programming phases of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution system, and the preparation of materials and guidance for such system, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, working in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
  • (3) Analysis and advice for resource discussions relating to requirements under consideration in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council pursuant to section 181 of this title .
  • (4) Formulation of study guidance for analyses of alternatives for major defense acquisition programs and performance of such analyses, as directed by the Secretary of Defense.
  • (5) Review, analysis, and evaluation of programs for executing approved strategies and policies, ensuring that information on programs is presented accurately and completely, and assessing the effect of spending by the Department of Defense on the United States economy.
  • (6) Assessments of special access and compartmented intelligence programs, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security and in accordance with applicable policies.
  • (7) Assessments of alternative plans, programs, and policies with respect to the acquisition programs of the Department of Defense.
  • (8) Leading the development of improved analytical skills and competencies within the cost assessment and program evaluation workforce of the Department of Defense and improved tools, data, and methods to promote performance, economy, and efficiency in analyzing national security planning and the allocation of defense resources.
  • (9) Performing the duties assigned to the Director in section 2222 of this title .

§ 139b. Special Operations Policy and Oversight Council

• (a) In order to fulfill the responsibilities specified in section 138(b)(4) 1 1 See References in Text note below. of this title, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, or the designee of the Assistant Secretary, shall establish and lead a team to be known as the “Special Operations Policy and Oversight Council” (in this section referred to as the “Council”).
• (b) The purpose of the Council is to integrate the functional activities of the headquarters of the Department of Defense in order to most efficiently and effectively provide for special operations forces and capabilities. In fulfilling this purpose, the Council shall develop and continuously improve policy, joint processes, and procedures that facilitate the development, acquisition, integration, employment, and sustainment of special operations forces and capabilities.
• (c) The Council shall include the following:
  • (1) The Assistant Secretary, who shall act as leader of the Council.
  • (2) Appropriate senior representatives of each of the following:
    • (A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
    • (B) The Under Secretary of Defense for Management and Support.
    • (C) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
    • (D) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
    • (E) The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
    • (F) The General Counsel of the Department of Defense.
    • (G) The other Assistant Secretaries of Defense under the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
    • (H) The military departments.
    • (I) The Joint Staff.
    • (J) The United States Special Operations Command.
    • (K) Such other officials or Agencies, elements, or components of the Department of Defense as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate.
• (d) The Council shall operate continuously.

§ 140. General Counsel

• (a) There is a General Counsel of the Department of Defense, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• (b) The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the Department of Defense. He shall perform such functions as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.

§ 141. Inspector General

• (a) There is an Inspector General of the Department of Defense, who is appointed as provided in section 3 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 ( Public Law 95–452 ; 5 U.S.C. App. 3).
• (b) The Inspector General performs the duties, has the responsibilities, and exercises the powers specified in the Inspector General Act of 1978.

§ 142. Chief Information Officer

• (a) There is a Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among civilians who are qualified to serve as such officer.
• (b)
  • (1) The Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense—
    • (A) is the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense for the purposes of sections 3506(a)(2) (other than with respect to business management) and 3544(a)(3) of title 44;
    • (B) has the responsibilities and duties specified in sections 11315 and 11319 of title 40 (other than with respect to business management);
    • (C) has the responsibilities specified for the Chief Information Officer in sections 2223(a) (other than with respect to business management) and 2224 of this title;
    • (D) exercises authority, direction, and control over the Information Assurance Directorate of the National Security Agency;
    • (E) exercises authority, direction, and control over the Defense Information Systems Agency, or any successor organization;
    • (F) has the responsibilities for policy, oversight, guidance, and coordination for all Department of Defense matters related to electromagnetic spectrum, including coordination with other Federal and industry agencies, coordination for classified programs, and in coordination with the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, policies related to spectrum management workforce;
    • (G) has the responsibilities for policy, oversight, and guidance for matters related to precision navigation and timing; and
    • (H) has the responsibilities for policy, oversight, and guidance for the architecture and programs related to the information technology, networking, information assurance, cybersecurity, and cyber capability architectures of the Department.
  • (2)
    • (A) The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), shall require the Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of the Defense Agencies with responsibilities associated with any activity specified in paragraph (1) to transmit the proposed budget for such activities for a fiscal year and for the period covered by the future-years defense program submitted to Congress under section 221 of this title for that fiscal year to the Chief Information Officer for review under subparagraph (B) before submitting the proposed budget to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).
    • (B) The Chief Information Officer shall review each proposed budget transmitted under subparagraph (A) and, not later than January 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year for which the budget is proposed, shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report containing the comments of the Chief Information Officer with respect to all such proposed budgets, together with the certification of the Chief Information Officer regarding whether each proposed budget is adequate.
    • (C) Not later than March 31 of each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report specifying each proposed budget contained in the most-recent report submitted under subparagraph (B) that the Chief Information Officer did not certify to be adequate. The report of the Secretary shall include the following matters:
      • (i) A discussion of the actions that the Secretary proposes to take, together with any recommended legislation that the Secretary considers appropriate, to address the inadequacy of the proposed budgets specified in the report.
      • (ii) Any additional comments that the Secretary considers appropriate regarding the inadequacy of the proposed budgets.
  • (3)
    • (A) The Secretary of a military department or head of a Defense Agency may not develop or procure information technology (as defined in section 11101 of title 40 ) that does not fully comply with such standards as the Chief Information Officer may establish.
    • (B) The Chief Information Officer shall implement and enforce a process for—
      • (i) developing, adopting, or publishing standards for information technology, networking, or cyber capabilities to which any military department or defense agency would need to adhere in order to run such capabilities on defense networks; and
      • (ii) certifying on a regular and ongoing basis that any capabilities being developed or procured meets such standards as have been published by the Department at the time of certification.
    • (C) The Chief Information Officer shall identify gaps in standards and mitigation plans for operating in the absence of acceptable standards.
  • (4) The Chief Information Officer shall perform such additional duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.
• (c) 1 1 So in original. Two subsecs. (c) have been enacted. The Chief Information Officer takes precedence in the Department of Defense with the officials serving in positions specified in section 131(b)(4) of this title . The officials serving in positions specified in section 131(b)(4) and the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense take precedence among themselves in the order prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
• (c) 1 The Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense shall report directly to the Secretary of Defense in the performance of duties under this section.
• (d) The Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense takes precedence in the Department of Defense with the officials serving in positions specified in section 131(b)(4) of this title . The officials serving in positions specified in such section and the Chief Information Officer take precedence among themselves in the order prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

§ 143. Office of the Secretary of Defense personnel: limitation

• (a) The number of OSD personnel may not exceed 4,300.
• (b) For purposes of this section, the term “OSD personnel” means military and civilian personnel of the Department of Defense who are assigned to, or employed in, functions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (including Direct Support Activities of that Office and the Washington Headquarters Services of the Department of Defense).
• (c) In carrying out reductions in the number of personnel assigned to, or employed in, the Office of the Secretary of Defense in order to comply with this section, the Secretary of Defense may not reassign functions solely in order to evade the requirements contained in this section.

§ 144. Director of Small Business Programs

• (a) There is a Director of Small Business Programs in the Department of Defense. The Director is appointed by the Secretary of Defense.
• (b) The Office of Small Business Programs of the Department of Defense is the office that is established within the Office of the Secretary of Defense under section 15(k) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 644(k) ). The Director of Small Business Programs is the head of such office.
• (c)
  • (1) The Director of Small Business Programs shall, subject to paragraph (2), perform such duties regarding small business programs of the Department of Defense, and shall exercise such powers regarding those programs, as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe.
  • (2) Section 15(k) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 644(k) ), except for the designations of the Director and the Office, applies to the Director of Small Business Programs.

§ 145. Principal Advisor on Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction

The Secretary of Defense may designate, from among the personnel of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a Principal Advisor on Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction. Such Principal Advisor shall coordinate the activities of the Department of Defense relating to countering weapons of mass destruction. The individual designated to serve as such Principal Advisor shall be an individual who was appointed to the position held by the individual by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.