The assistant secretary of defense for sustainment (ASD (Sustainment)), formerly known as the assistant secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness (ASD(L&MR)), is one of three assistant secretaries reporting to the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. Formerly the position was an adviser to the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, the deputy secretary of defense, and the secretary of defense on logistics and materiel readiness issues within the Department of Defense (DoD), including programs related to logistics, materiel readiness, maintenance, strategic mobility, and sustainment support. As the principal logistics official within the senior management of the DoD, the ASD(Sustainment) exercises authority, direction and control over the director of the Defense Logistics Agency. Like all other assistant secretaries of defense, the ASD(Sustainment) is considered a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
History
This position can trace its lineage partially back to the National Security Act of 1947, which established a Munitions Board to oversee logistics and supply within the nascent Defense Department. Through the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations, oversight of logistics and materiel readiness was merged with oversight of installations and properties. In 1977, the acquisition functions of this office were transferred to the director of defense research and engineering, and responsibilities for logistics were merged with manpower and reserve affairs throughout the Carter and early Reagan administrations.
For a year in the middle of the Reagan administration, responsibilities for logistics and materiel support were split between two ASDs after the creation of a new assistant secretary of defense for development and support, established by Defense Directive 5129.4 (signed 25 November 1984). However, this office was abolished after Defense Directive 5128.1 (signed in November 1985) merged logistics responsibilities into a single office, the assistant secretary of defense for acquisition and logistics. This office was then replaced by the assistant secretary of defense for production and logistics in April 1987, and phased out completely in 1993 after the reorganization of the office of the USD (AT&L). From 1993 until 2000, there was no principal staff assistant to the USD (AT&L) responsible for oversight of logistics and materiel readiness.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, (P.L. 106-65, signed 5 October 1999) created the new position of deputy under secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness, or DUSD (L&MR). The DUSD (L&MR) was meant to serve as a second DUSD, after the Principal DUSD, reporting to the USD (AT&L). According to an official DoD history, the intent of Congress in establishing the DUSD (L&MR) was to emphasize the importance of these functions.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (P.L. 111-84, signed 28 October 2009) redesignated this position as the assistant secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness, or ASD(L&MR), as part of an overall effort to limit the number of DUSD positions to five.Title IX, Subtitle A, Section 906, Part b, http://intelligence.senate.gov/pdfs/military_act_2009.pdf However, this post remained vacant throughout the Obama administration, with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (PDASD) Alan F. Estevez serving as the highest-ranking official in this office.
In February 2018, the Logistics and Materiel Readiness office was combined into a new office, headed by the assistant secretary for sustainment.
As part of a reorganization on 12 October 2018, the ASD(L&MR) was combined with the assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations, and environment (ASD(EI&E)) into a new assistant secretary of defense for sustainment. The ASD(EI&E) position was reestablished on February 10, 2022.
Officeholders Assistant secretaries for logistics and materiel readiness
The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices. + Assistant secretaries of defense (logistics & materiel readiness) Name Tenure Secretary(ies) served under President(s) served under Chairman, Munitions Board Thomas J. Hargrave 30 September 1947 – 20 September 1948 James V. Forrestal Harry Truman Donald F. Carpenter 21 September 1948 – 30 June 1949 James V. Forrestal Louis A. Johnson Hubert E. Howard 25 November 1949 – 18 September 1950 Louis A. Johnson John D. Small 16 November 1950 – 20 January 1953 George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett Assistant Secretary of Defense (Supply and Logistics) Charles S. Thomas 5 August 1953 – 2 May 1954 Charles Erwin Wilson Dwight Eisenhower Thomas P. Pike 3 May 1954 – 27 June 1956 E. Perkins McGuire 28 December 1956 – 20 January 1961 Charles Erwin Wilson Neil H. McElroy Thomas S. Gates Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics) Thomas D. Morris 29 January 1961 – 11 December 1964 Robert S. McNamara John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson Paul R. Ignatius 23 December 1964 – 31 August 1967 Robert S. McNamara Lyndon Johnson Thomas D. Morris 1 September 1967 – 1 February 1969 Robert S. McNamara Clark M. Clifford Melvin R. Laird Lyndon Johnson Richard Nixon Barry J. Shillito 1 February 1969 – 1 February 1973 Melvin R. Laird Richard Nixon Arthur I. Mendolia 21 June 1973 – 31 March 1975 James R. Schlesinger Richard Nixon Gerald Ford John J. Bennett (acting) 1 April 1975 – 9 February 1976 James R. Schlesinger Donald H. Rumsfeld Gerald Ford Frank A. Shrontz 10 February 1976 – 19 January 1977 Donald H. Rumsfeld Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, and Logistics) John P. White 11 May 1977 – 31 October 1978 Harold Brown Jimmy Carter Robert B. Pirie Jr. 17 June 1979 – 20 January 1981 Lawrence Korb 4 May 1981 – 12 January 1984 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Installations, and Logistics) Lawrence J. Korb 12 January 1984 – 5 July 1985 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan Assistant Secretary of Defense (Development and Support) James P. Wade 6 August 1984 – 5 July 1985 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Logistics) James P. Wade 5 July 1985 – 3 November 1986 Caspar W. Weinberger Ronald Reagan Robert B. Costello 13 March 1987 – 15 April 1987 Assistant Secretary of Defense (Production and Logistics) Robert B. Costello 15 April 1987 – 17 December 1987 Caspar W. Weinberger Frank C. Carlucci III Ronald Reagan Jack Katzen 28 March 1988 – 8 January 1990 Frank C. Carlucci III William Howard Taft IV (acting) Dick Cheney Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush Colin McMillan 5 March 1990 – 11 December 1992 Dick Cheney George H. W. Bush No positionPosition vacant from 1993 to 2000 Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness) Roger W. Kallock 15 September 2000 – 19 January 2001 William S. Cohen Bill Clinton Diane Morales 17 July 2001 – 2 January 2004 Donald H. Rumsfeld George W. Bush Bradley M. Berkson (acting) 2 January 2004 – 8 August 2005 Phillip J. "Jack" Bell 8 August 2005"Cost-effective Joint Support for the Warfighter", Defense AT&L Interview with Jack Bell – 20 January 2009 Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates Assistant Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Materiel Readiness) Position vacant from 20 January 2009 to 8 August 2011 Alan Estevez8 August 2011 – 30 October 2013 Leon PanettaChuck Hagel Barack ObamaDavid J. Berteau16 December 2014 – 25 March 2016Chuck HagelAsh Carter Position vacant from 26 March 2016 to 30 November 2017Robert H. McMahon30 November 2017 – 11 October 2018Jim MattisDonald Trump
Assistant secretaries for sustainment + Assistant secretaries for sustainment Name Tenure Secretary(ies) served under President(s) served underRobert H. McMahon12 October 2018 – 22 November 2019Jim MattisMark EsperDonald TrumpPeter Potochney (acting)22 November 2019 – 30 March 2020Mark EsperDonald TrumpJordan Gillis30 March 2020 – 20 January 2021Mark EsperDonald TrumpPaul D. Cramer (acting)20 January 2021 – 2 August 2021 Lloyd AustinJoe BidenSteven J. Morani (acting)2 August 2021 – 10 June 2022Lloyd AustinJoe BidenChristopher Lowman10 June 2022 – 30 September 2024Lloyd AustinJoe BidenSteven J. Morani (acting)30 September 2024 – 28 July 2025https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7354997000297218048Lloyd AustinPete HegsethJoe BidenDonald TrumpLeigh E. Method (acting)28 July 2025 – 29 May 2026Pete HegsethDonald TrumpBrian Birdwell29 May 2026 – PresentPete HegsethDonald Trump
References
External links https://web.archive.org/web/20110516010527/http://www.acq.osd.mil/log/lmr/about_us.htm