View source for Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

{{Short description|United States government official}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                    = Under Secretary
| body                    = Defense<br />for Personnel and Readiness
| native_name             = 
| insignia                = 
| insigniasize            = 
| insigniacaption         = 
| insigniaalt             =
| flag                    = Flag of the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense.svg
| flagsize                = 
| flagalt                 =
| flagborder              = 
| flagcaption             = Flag of an under secretary of defense
| image                   = Jules W. Hurst III.jpg
| imagesize               = 
| alt                     = 
| imagecaption            =
| incumbent               = [[Jules W. Hurst III]]
| acting                  = yes
| incumbentsince          = March 17, 2025
| department              = [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]
| style                   = 
| type                    = 
| status                  = 
| abbreviation            = USD (P&R)
| member_of               = [[Office of the Secretary of Defense]]
| reports_to              = [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]
| residence               = 
| seat                    = 
| nominator               = 
| appointer               = The [[President of the United States|president]]
| appointer_qualified     = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| termlength              = [[At the pleasure of the president]]
| termlength_qualified    = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor               = 
| formation               = {{start date|df=y|1994|03|16}}
| first                   = [[Edwin Dorn]]
| last                    = 
| abolished               = 
| succession              = 
| unofficial_names        = 
| deputy                  = 
| salary                  = $165,300
| website                 = {{url|prhome.defense.gov|Official website}}
}}

The '''under secretary of defense 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]] responsible for advising the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary]] and [[United States Deputy Secretary of Defense|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 of the United States|president]] and confirmed by the [[United States Senate|Senate]] to serve at the pleasure of the President.

Additionally, he exercises day-to-day supervision of the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Defense Commissary Agency.<ref>{{cite web |title=OSD P&R Leadership |url=https://prhome.defense.gov/Leadership.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125011337/http://prhome.defense.gov/Leadership.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 November 2013 |website=prhome.defense.gov |access-date=17 October 2019}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

==Overview==
The '''Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD(P&R))''' is the principal staff element for the Department of Defense for all human resources, [[human capital]] development, and personnel logistics matters. The USD(P&R) has oversight of the [[Defense Commissary Agency]], [[Department of Defense Education Activity]], [[Defense Human Resources Activity]], the [[Military Health System]], and the Defense Travel Management Office. The USD(P&R) is also responsible for training, health affairs, [[United States National Guard|National Guard]] and [[United States Army Reserve|Reserve]] affairs, personnel requirements for weapons support, and military and civilian family matters, subject to the authority of the Secretary of Defense.<ref>{{cite web |title=US Code: Title 10,136. Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/136- |access-date=21 September 2007}}</ref> Through the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, the [[United States Military Entrance Processing Command]] also reports to the Under Secretary.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100519113203/http://prhome.defense.gov/MPP/ defense.gov] accessed June 2010</ref>

With the rank of ''Under Secretary'', the USD(P&R) is a Level III position within the [[Executive Schedule]]. Since January 2010, the annual rate of pay for Level III is $165,300.

==History==
The position was first mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (P.L. 103-160), signed by President [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] on 30 November 1993.<ref>{{cite web | title=H.R.2401 | url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/usc-cgi/get_external.cgi?type=pubL&target=103-160 | access-date= 21 September 2007 }}</ref> 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]].<ref name="history"/> Since the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 was signed on 5 October 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 [[military deployment|deployment]] away from assigned duty stations, and for establishing systems for reporting tracking deployments.<ref>{{cite web | title=S.1059 | url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/usc-cgi/get_external.cgi?type=pubL&target=106-65 | access-date= 21 September 2007 }}</ref>

When created in 1993, 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).

==Reporting officials==
Officials reporting to the USD (P&R) include:
* Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
* Military Deputy to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
** Director, Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity
*** [[Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute]]
** Director, Defense Suicide Prevention Office
** Director, Personnel Risk Reduction Office
* Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness
* [[Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs]]
** [[Military Health System]]
** Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy
* [[Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs]]
** Director, [[Defense Commissary Agency]]
** Director, [[Department of Defense Education Activity]]
** Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy
** Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy
** Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy
** Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness
** Director, Office of Total Force Planning & Requirements
** Director, Transition to Veterans Program Office
* Director, [[Defense Human Resources Activity]]
* Director, DoD/VA Collaboration Office

==Budget==

===Budget totals===
The annual budget for the USD (P&R) is contained in the Office of the Secretary of Defense's (OSD) budget, under the Defense-Wide Operation and Maintenance (O&M) account.

{| class="wikitable"
|+USD Personnel and Readiness Budget, FY 10-12 ($ in thousands)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://comptroller.defense.gov/defbudget/fy2012/budget_justification/pdfs/01_Operation_and_Maintenance/O_M_VOL_1_PARTS/O_M_VOL_1_BASE_PARTS/OSD_OP-5_FY_2012.pdf | title=Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Budget Estimates, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) | publisher=Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), OSD | year=2011 | access-date=29 August 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020090802/http://comptroller.defense.gov/defbudget/fy2012/budget_justification/pdfs/01_Operation_and_Maintenance/O_M_VOL_1_PARTS/O_M_VOL_1_BASE_PARTS/OSD_OP-5_FY_2012.pdf | archive-date=20 October 2011 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="col" width="220" | Line Item
! scope="col" width="120" | FY10 Actual
! scope ="col" width="120" | FY11 Estimate
! scope="col" width="120" | FY12 Request
|-
| colspan="4" align="center" | '''Core OSD Operating Program'''<ref>Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Budget Estimates, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), p.664</ref>
|-
| Civilian Pay and Benefits, USD (P&R)|| 23,688 || 35,457 || 24,816
|-
|colspan="4" align="center" | '''Program Structure'''<ref>Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Budget Estimates, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), p.697-707</ref>
|-
| Contracts and other Support Services || 1,000 || 1,007 || 995
|-
| Advancing Diversity and Equal Opportunity Program || 8,500 || 8,925 || 9,667
|-
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) || 2,219 || 2,393 || 1,131
|-
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs) || 2,364 || 2,691 || 2,018
|-
| Combatant Commander's Exercise || 688,632 || 760,837 || 766,450
|-
| Defense Safety Oversight Council || 10,692 || 12,615 || 12,550
|-
| Defense Readiness Reporting System || 13,354 || 6,900 || 3,882
|-
| Lost Work Days System || 3,230 || 3,060 || 3,032
|-
| Military Personnel Policy Naturalization Support || 5,799 || 6,345 || 6,463
|-
| Military Spouse Intern Program || 0 || 17,500 || 16,689
|-
| Studies Program || 0 || 2,820 || 2,792
|-
| Training Transformation || 6,563 || 6,035 || 5,112
|-
| Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy || 43,664 || 79,412 || 77,623
|-
| Travel || 1,338 || 1,402 || 817
|-
|colspan="4" align="center" | '''Overseas Contingency Operations'''<ref>Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Budget Estimates, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), p.714</ref>
|-
| OCO OUSD (Intel) || 2,064 || 0 || 0
|-
|colspan="4" align="center" | '''Totals'''
|-
| '''Total Budget''' || '''813,107''' || '''947,399''' || '''934,037'''
|-
|}

===Budget features===
*'''Contracts and other Support Services''' - Funds contracts and other support services for mission requirements, including Intergovernmental Personnel Act requirements
*'''Advancing Diversity and Equal Opportunity Program''' - Funding to increase the number of people with targeted disabilities in the federal civilian workforce to support the DoD goal of two percent DoD-wide, emphasizing the benefit for wounded service members
*'''Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)''' - ASD (HA) is the principal medical staff advisor to the Secretary of Defense and principal program manager for all DoD health matters to include medical readiness, health care delivery, preventive medicine, medical military construction, and the procurement, development, training and retention of medical military and civilian personnel
*'''Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs)''' - Funds managed by ASD (RA) are utilized to conduct valuable research and analysis for specific topics and issues that arise related to the National Guard and military Reserve components
*'''Combatant Commander's Exercise Engagement and Training Transformation (CE2T2)''' - The program was established as a result of direction from the Quadrennial Defense Review that re-aligned and consolidated joint training programs and applies resulting efficiencies against new mission areas and existing joint training shortfalls
*'''Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC)''' - Supports safety initiatives to reduce and prevent injuries to Defense Department personnel
*'''Defense Readiness Reporting System (DRRS)''' - Allows for quick analysis of force capability issues, effective program oversight, operator training, and data maintenance
*'''Lost Work Days System''' - Lost Work Days aims to increase operational readiness by providing data and analysis to eliminate preventable mishaps
*'''Military Personnel Policy (MPP) Naturalization Support''' - Funding to pay [[U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services]] in the [[United States Department of Homeland Security]] to not charge fees to military members applying for naturalization to become US citizens
*'''Military Spouse Intern Program''' - Assists eligible spouses of active duty military in obtaining positions in federal agencies by paying the spouses' salary and benefits for the first year of employment
*'''Studies Program''' - The Department contracts for assistance in facilitating studies that improve the overall operation and efficiency of the OUSD(P&R) and the programs over which it exercises oversight
*'''Training Transformation''' - Provides oversight of the Department's Joint training effort
*'''Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy (WWCTP)''' - Funds WWCTP operations that provide OSD-level oversight of the development and implementation of comprehensive disability, non-medical care and case management, and transition programs, policies and standards Department-wide
*'''Travel''' - Funds employee travel to support USD(P&R) mission

==Office holders==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align"
|+ Under Secretaries of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)<ref name="history"/>
|-
! scope="col" width="30" | No.
! scope="col" width="75" | Portrait
! scope="col" width="200" | Name
! scope="col" width="280" | Tenure
! scope="col" width="215" | Secretary(ies) of Defense Served Under
! scope="col" width="215" | President(s) Served Under
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1 || rowspan="2" | [[File:Portrait of Edwin Dorn, Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness.jpg|75px]] || rowspan="2" | [[Edwin Dorn]] || rowspan="2" | 16 March 1994 – 7 July 1997 || [[William J. Perry|William Perry]] || rowspan="5" | [[Bill Clinton]]
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[William Cohen]]
|-
| 2 || [[File:Rudy de Leon, official military photo, 1997.jpg|75px]] || [[Rudy de Leon]] || 5 August 1997 – 31 March 2000
|-
| - || [[File:Defense.gov News Photo 970912-A-3569D-001.jpg|75px]] || [[Charles Cragin]] (acting) || 31 March 2000 – 23 May 2000
|-
| 3 || [[File:Bernard Rostker.jpg|75px]] || [[Bernard D. Rostker]] || 23 May 2000 – 19 January 2001
|-
| - || [[File:Defense.gov News Photo 970912-A-3569D-001.jpg|75px]] || [[Charles Cragin]] (acting) || 20 January 2001 – 31 May 2001 || rowspan="2" | [[Donald Rumsfeld]] || rowspan="3" | [[George W. Bush]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 4 || rowspan="2" | [[File:Dr David S C Chu.jpg|75px]] || rowspan="2" | [[David S. C. Chu]] || rowspan="2" | 1 June 2001 – 20 January 2009 
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Robert Gates]]
|-
| - || || Gail H. McGinn (acting) || 21 January 2009 – 8 February 2010 || rowspan="10" | [[Barack Obama]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 5 || rowspan="2" | [[File:Stanley Clifford.JPG|75px]] || rowspan="2" | [[Clifford Stanley]] || rowspan="2" | 9 February 2010 – 27 October 2011
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[Leon Panetta]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/Our-Story/Biographies/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807142806/https://www.defense.gov/Our-Story/Biographies/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2019|title=Biographies|website=U.S. Department of Defense}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://prhome.defense.gov/bios/ErinConaton.aspx |title=OSD P&R; Biographies: Hon. Erin C. Conaton |access-date=12 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913074221/http://prhome.defense.gov/bios/ErinConaton.aspx |archive-date=13 September 2012 }}</ref>
|-
| - || [[File:JoAnnRooney.jpg|75px]] || [[Jo Ann Rooney]] (acting)<ref name="prhome.defense.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://prhome.defense.gov/PDUSD/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516024535/http://prhome.defense.gov/PDUSD/|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 May 2010|title=Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness|website=prhome.defense.gov}}</ref> || 27 October 2011 – 8 June 2012
|-
| 6 || [[File:Erin C. Conaton USDPR.jpg|75px]] || [[Erin C. Conaton]]<ref name="prhome.defense.gov"/> || 8 June 2012 – 31 December 2012
|-
| rowspan="3" | 7 || rowspan="3" | [[File:Jessica Wright DOD 2012 photo.jpg|75px]] || rowspan="3" | [[Jessica L. Wright|Jessica Wright]] || rowspan="3" | 1 January 2013 – 31 March 2015
|-
| [[Chuck Hagel]]
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Ash Carter]]
|-
| - || [[File:Brad_carson23.jpg|75px]] || [[Brad Carson]] (acting) || 2 April 2015 – 8 April 2016
|-
| - || [[File:Peter Levine (DOD) Headshot.JPG|Peter Levine (DOD) Headshot|75px]] || [[Peter Levine (civil servant)|Peter Levine]] (acting) || 8 April 2016 – 20 January 2017
|-
| - || [[File:Anthony Kurta (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Anthony Kurta]] (acting) || 20 January 2017 – 30 November 2017 || rowspan="4" | [[Jim Mattis]] || rowspan="8" | [[Donald Trump]]
|-
| 8 || [[File:Robert Wilkie official photo (cropped).jpg|75px]] || [[Robert Wilkie]] || 30 November 2017 – 30 July 2018
|-
| - || [[File:Stephanie Barna.jpg|75px]] || [[Stephanie Barna]] (acting) || 30 July 2018 –  22 October 2018
|-
| rowspan="2" | - || rowspan="2" | [[File:James N. Stewart official photo (cropped).jpg|75px]] || rowspan="2" | [[James N. Stewart]] (acting) || rowspan="2" | 22 October 2018 – 13 December 2019
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[Mark Esper]]
|-
| - || [[File:Donovan PTDO USD P-R.jpg|75px]] || [[Matthew Donovan]] (acting) || 13 December 2019 – 2 March 2020
|-
| - || [[File:Alexis Lasselle Ross Picture.png|75px]] || [[Alexis Lasselle Ross]] (acting) || 3 March 2020 – 23 March 2020
|-
| 9 || [[File:Donovan PTDO USD P-R.jpg|75px]] || [[Matthew Donovan]] || 23 March 2020 – 20 January 2021
|-
| - || [[File:Virginia S. Penrod (2).jpg|75px]] || [[Virginia S. Penrod]] (acting) || 20 January 2021 – 24 August 2021<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-penrod-87945524b | title=Virginia Penrod | website=www.linkedin.com}}</ref> || rowspan="3" | [[Lloyd Austin]] || rowspan="3" | [[Joe Biden]]
|-
| 10 || [[File:Gilbert Cisneros, Under Secretary of Defense.jpg|75px]] || [[Gil Cisneros]] || 24 August 2021 – 8 September 2023 
|-
| - || [[File:Ashish Vazirani, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.jpg|75px]] || [[Ashish Vazirani]] (acting) || 8 September 2023 – 20 January 2025
|-
| - || [[File:Darin S. Selnick.jpg|75px]] || [[Darin Selnick]] (acting) || 20 January 2025 – 17 March 2025 || rowspan="2" | [[Pete Hegseth]] || rowspan="2" | [[Donald Trump]]
|-
| - || [[File:Jules W. Hurst III.jpg|75px]] || [[Jules W. Hurst III]] (acting) || 17 March 2025 – present
|}

==Principal Deputy==
The '''Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (PDUSD(P&R))''' is the Under Secretary's chief staff assistant. PDUSD (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.

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.<ref name="history"/> As of 2012, the position again holds the rank of Principal Deputy Under Secretary.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Principal Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense for Personnel and Readiness<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=https://history.defense.gov/Portals/70/Documents/key_officials/KeyOfficials-2024-03-18.pdf?ver=OAdUrz6zMkTKcC9HKlI9nQ%3d%3d |title=Department of Defense Key Officials |publisher=Historical Office, OSD |year=2024 |access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref>
|-
! scope="col" width="180" | Name
! scope="col" width="280" | Tenure
! scope"col" width="180"  | USD(P&R) served under
! scope="col" width="215" | SecDef(s) served under
! scope="col" width="215" | President(s) served under
|-
| Charles S. Abell || 14 November 2002 – 11 July 2006 || rowspan="2" | [[David S. C. Chu]] || rowspan="2" | [[Donald H. Rumsfeld]] || rowspan="2" | [[George W. Bush]]
|-
| Michael L. Dominguez || 11 July 2006 – 20 January 2009
|-
| William J. Carr (acting) || 20 January 2009 – 8 February 2010|| Michael L. Dominguez (acting)|| rowspan="2" | [[Robert M. Gates]] || rowspan="6" | [[Barack Obama]]
|-
| Lynn C. Simpson (performing the duties of) || 8 February 2010 – 2 June 2011 || Gail McGinn (acting)
|-
| [[Jo Ann Rooney]] || 2 June 2011 - 24 May 2012|| [[Clifford Stanley]] || [[Leon Panetta]]
|-
| Vacant || 24 May 2012 – 30 July 2014|| [[Jessica L. Wright]] (acting)|| [[Chuck Hagel]]
|-
| Laura Junor || 31 July 2014 – May 2015 || Jessica L. Wright<br />[[Brad Carson]] (acting) || Chuck Hagel<br />[[Ashton Carter]]
|-
| [[Stephanie Barna]] (acting) || 8 April 2016 – 20 January 2017 || Peter Levine (acting) || [[Ashton Carter]]
|-
| William G. Bushman (performing the duties of) || 29 June 2019 – 20 January 2021 || [[James N. Stewart]] (acting) <br /> [[Matthew Donovan]] (acting) <br /> Alexis Lasselle Ross (acting) <br /> Matthew Donovan || [[Mark Esper]] || [[Donald Trump]]
|-
| Julie Blanks (performing the duties of) || 20 January 2021 – 13 July 2022|| Virginia S. Penrod (acting) <br /> [[Gil Cisneros]] || rowspan="2 mi" | [[Lloyd Austin]] || rowspan="2" | [[Joe Biden]]
|-
| [[Ashish Vazirani]] || 13 July 2022 – 20 January 2025 || Gil Cisneros 
|-
| Jules W. Hurst III (performing the duties of) || 20 January 2025 – 17 March 2025 || Darin Selnick (acting) || [[Pete Hegseth]] || [[Donald Trump]]
|-
| Tim Dill (performing the duties of) || 17 March 2025 – present || Jules W. Hurst III (acting) || [[Pete Hegseth]] || [[Donald Trump]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Current US Department of Defense Secretaries}}
{{US Department of Defense Secretaries}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Under Secretary Of Defense For Personnel And Readiness}}
[[Category:United States Under Secretaries of Defense| ]]