§ 131. Office of the Secretary of Defense

Type Statute

Publication 2026-03-26

State In force

Department United States Congress

Source OLRC

§ 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[(2) Repealed. Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 901(a)(2)(A), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3794.]

(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.

(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.

(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 4273(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.

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 131 was renumbered section 111 of this title.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–283, § 901(a)(2)(A), struck out par. (2) which read as follows: “The Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense.”

Subsec. (b)(8)(F). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1847(e)(6)(A), substituted “section 4273(a)” for “section 2438(a)”.

2019—Subsec. (b)(3)(F). Pub. L. 116–92, § 1621(e)(1)(A)(i), substituted “Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security” for “Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence”.

Subsec. (b)(8)(F), (I). Pub. L. 116–92, § 1731(a)(7), redesignated subpar. (I) as (F).

2018—Subsec. (b)(4) to (9). Pub. L. 115–232, § 1081(f)(1)(B), redesignated pars. (5) to (10) as (4) to (9), respectively, and struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: “The Deputy Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense.”

Subsec. (b)(9)(B) to (H). Pub. L. 115–232, § 1081(a)(3), redesignated subpars. (E) to (H) as (B) to (E), respectively, and struck out former subpars. (B) to (D) which read as follows:

“(B) The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Developmental Test and Evaluation appointed pursuant to section 139b(a) of this title.

“(C) The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Engineering appointed pursuant to section 139b(b) of this title.

“(D) The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy appointed pursuant to section 139c of this title.”

Subsec. (b)(10). Pub. L. 115–232, § 1081(f)(1)(B), redesignated par. (10) as (9).

2017—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–91, § 1081(b)(1)(A), repealed Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(j)(1)(A). See 2014 Amendment notes below.

Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 115–91, § 910(c)(1), added par. (2) and redesignated pars. (2) to (4) as (3) to (5), respectively.

Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 115–91, § 1081(d)(9), made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 114–328, § 902(b). See 2016 Amendment note below.

Pub. L. 115–91, § 910(c)(1)(A), redesignated par. (4) as (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (6).

Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 115–91, § 910(c)(1)(A), redesignated par. (5) as (6). Former par. (6) redesignated (7).

Pub. L. 115–91, § 906(d)(1), amended par. (6) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (6) read as follows: “The Principal Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense.”

Subsec. (b)(7) to (10). Pub. L. 115–91, § 910(c)(1)(A), redesignated pars. (6) to (9) as (7) to (10), respectively.

2016—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–328, § 901(f), added subpars. (A) and (B), redesignated former subpars. (B) to (E) as (C) to (F), respectively, and struck out former subpar. (A), which read as follows: “The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.”

Pub. L. 114–328, § 901(d), repealed Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(a)(2). See 2014 Amendment note below.

Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 114–328, § 902(b), as amended by Pub. L. 115–91, § 1081(d)(9), inserted “, who reports directly to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary without intervening authority” before period at end.

Subsec. (b)(8)(G). Pub. L. 114–328, § 933(a)(3), substituted “Director of Military Family Readiness Policy” for “Director of Family Policy”.

2014—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(a)(2), which directed adding subpar. (A) reading “The Under Secretary of Defense for Business Management and Information.” and redesignating former subpars. (A) to (E) as (B) to (F), respectively, was repealed by Pub. L. 114–328, § 901(d).

Subsec. (b)(5) to (7). Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(j)(1)(A), which directed striking out par. (5) and redesignating pars. (6) to (8) as (5) to (7), respectively, was repealed by Pub. L. 115–91, § 1081(b)(1)(A).

Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(b)(2), added par. (5) and redesignated former pars. (5) and (6) as (6) and (7), respectively. Former par. (7) redesignated (8).

Subsec. (b)(8). Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(j)(1)(A)(ii), which directed redesignating par. (9) as (8), was repealed by Pub. L. 115–91, § 1081(b)(1)(A).

Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(k)(1), added subpar. (A) and redesignated former subpars. (A) to (H) as (B) to (I), respectively.

Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(b)(2)(A), redesignated par. (7) as (8). Former par. (8) redesignated (9).

Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(j)(1)(A)(ii), which directed redesignating par. (9) as (8), was repealed by Pub. L. 115–91, § 1081(b)(1)(A).

Pub. L. 113–291, § 901(b)(2)(A), redesignated par. (8) as (9).

2011—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(m)(1), substituted “the Secretary’s” for “his”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(b)(2), amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) related to the composition of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

2008—Subsec. (b)(3) to (9). Pub. L. 110–181, as amended by Pub. L. 110–417, added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (8) as (4) to (9), respectively.

2002—Subsec. (b)(2) to (11). Pub. L. 107–314 added par. (2), redesignated pars. (6) to (11) as (3) to (8), respectively, and struck out former pars. (2) to (5) which read as follows:

“(2) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.

“(3) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

“(4) The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

“(5) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.”

1999—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 106–65 substituted “Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics” for “Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology”.

1996—Subsec. (b)(6) to (11). Pub. L. 104–106, § 903(a), (e)(1), which directed amendment of subsec. (b), eff. Jan. 31, 1997, by striking out pars. (6) and (8) and redesignating pars. (7), (9), (10), and (11) as (6), (7), (8), and (9), respectively, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–201.

1994—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)” for “Comptroller”.

1993—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–160 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “The Office of the Secretary of Defense is composed of the following:

“(1) The Deputy Secretary of Defense.

“(2) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition.

“(3) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

“(4) The Director of Defense Research and Engineering.

“(5) The Assistant Secretaries of Defense.

“(6) The Comptroller of the Department of Defense.

“(7) The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.

“(8) The General Counsel of the Department of Defense.

“(9) The Inspector General of the Department of Defense.

“(10) Such other offices and officials as may be established by law or the Secretary of Defense may establish or designate in the Office.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2021 Amendment

Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 901(a)(4), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3794, provided that: “The repeals and amendments made by this subsection [amending this section and repealing section 132a of this title and provisions set out as notes preceding this section and under this section, sections 132 and 132a of this title, and section 5313 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 1, 2021].”

Amendment by section 1847(e)(6)(A) of Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date of 2017 Amendment

Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title IX, § 910(c), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1518, which provided that the amendment made by section 910(c)(1) was effective on Feb. 1, 2018, and immediately after the coming into effect of the amendments made by section 901 of Pub. L. 114–328, was repealed by Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 901(a)(2)(B), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3794.

Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1081(b)(1), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1597, provided that the amendment made by section 1081(b)(1)(A), (D) is effective as of Dec. 23, 2016.

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