₦airaland Forum

The official profiles and biographies for all U.S. Secretaries of Defense can be found on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Historical Office website.

Below are details for the current and recent secretaries, with links to where full profiles can be found.

Current U.S. Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth (2025–Present)
The Honorable Pete Hegseth is the 29th U.S. Secretary of Defense, sworn in on January 25, 2025.
Background: Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. He served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Star medals. Before his nomination, he was a conservative political commentator and a co-host on Fox News.
Profile: An official biography is available on the OSD Historical Office website.

Recent Former Secretaries of Defense
Lloyd J. Austin III (2021–2025)
General (Ret.) Austin served as the 28th Secretary of Defense.

Background: He is a retired U.S. Army four-star general who served for 41 years, including as the 12th Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), overseeing military operations in the Middle East and Central and South Asia.
Profile: The Carnegie Corporation of New York website has a profile, and details are also available via the U.S. Central Command archives.

Mark T. Esper (2019–2020)
Esper served as the 27th Secretary of Defense.
Background: An Army veteran who served in the Gulf War, he previously held the position of U.S. Secretary of the Army. Before his government roles, he was a manufacturing executive at Raytheon Co..
Profile: Information can be found through the Department of Defense Historical Office website.


James N. Mattis (2017–2019)
General (Ret.) Mattis was the 26th Secretary of Defense.
Background: A retired Marine Corps four-star general, he commanded forces during the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

We are waiting for Lesotho, Namibia, UK, Peru, Angola list too

madridguy:
We are waiting for Lesotho, Namibia, UK, Peru, Angola list too

When would conscience appeal to you this boy? You seem conscienceless and that's too bad of a human

unclenna:
The official profiles and biographies for all U.S. Secretaries of Defense can be found on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Historical Office website.

Below are details for the current and recent secretaries, with links to where full profiles can be found.

Current U.S. Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth (2025–Present)
The Honorable Pete Hegseth is the 29th U.S. Secretary of Defense, sworn in on January 25, 2025.
Background: Hegseth graduated from Princeton University in 2003 and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard. He served in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Star medals. Before his nomination, he was a conservative political commentator and a co-host on Fox News.
Profile: An official biography is available on the OSD Historical Office website.

Recent Former Secretaries of Defense
Lloyd J. Austin III (2021–2025)
General (Ret.) Austin served as the 28th Secretary of Defense.

Background: He is a retired U.S. Army four-star general who served for 41 years, including as the 12th Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), overseeing military operations in the Middle East and Central and South Asia.
Profile: The Carnegie Corporation of New York website has a profile, and details are also available via the U.S. Central Command archives.

Mark T. Esper (2019–2020)
Esper served as the 27th Secretary of Defense.
Background: An Army veteran who served in the Gulf War, he previously held the position of U.S. Secretary of the Army. Before his government roles, he was a manufacturing executive at Raytheon Co..
Profile: Information can be found through the Department of Defense Historical Office website.


James N. Mattis (2017–2019)
General (Ret.) Mattis was the 26th Secretary of Defense.
Background: A retired Marine Corps four-star general, he commanded forces during the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

The position of Minister of defence should be for experienced persons not just a politician

The position is statutorily for a civilian.
American sec. of defense with a military background must have a congressional waiver to qualify.

In a democracy, military leadership is subordinate to a civilian leader.