The senior military assistant to the secretary of defense (SMA SecDef) is the highest-ranking commissioned officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). The SMA directly reports to the secretary of defense, performing administrative work in the Secretary's name and handles relations between the Secretary and other pertinent government bodies, including the rest of the OSD, Congress and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a joint duty assignment, the SMA is one of 310 officer positions granted exemption from statutory limits on general officer numbers under .
The SMA holds the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral. They are nominated by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate.
List of senior military assistants
Senior Military AssistantTermService branchSecretary of DefensePortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTerm length1Major GeneralColin PowellJuly 1983June 1986~U.S. ArmyCaspar Weinberger -2Vice AdmiralDonald S. JonesJune 1986January 1987~U.S. NavyCaspar WeinbergerFrank Carlucci 3Major GeneralGordon E. FornellJanuary 1987September 1988~U.S. Air ForceFrank Carlucci 4Rear Admiral (lower half)William OwensJuly 1988August 1990~U.S. NavyFrank CarlucciDick Cheney 5Rear Admiral (lower half)Thomas J. LopezAugust 1990May 1992~U.S. NavyDick Cheney 6Major GeneralJohn P. JumperMay 1992February 1994~U.S. Air ForceLes Aspin 7Major GeneralPaul J. KernMarch 1994June 1996~U.S. ArmyWilliam Perry 8Major GeneralRandolph W. HouseJune 1996January 1997~U.S. ArmyWilliam Perry 9Lieutenant GeneralJames L. JonesJanuary 1997May 1999~U.S. Marine CorpsWilliam Cohen 10Vice AdmiralGregory G. JohnsonMay 1999October 2000~U.S. NavyWilliam Cohen -11Rear Admiral (lower half)Deborah LoewerOctober 20002001~U.S. NavyWilliam Cohen -12Vice AdmiralEdmund P. Giambastiani2001August 2002~U.S. NavyWilliam CohenDonald Rumsfeld -13Lieutenant GeneralBantz J. CraddockAugust 2002July 2004~U.S. ArmyDonald Rumsfeld -14Vice AdmiralJames G. StavridisJuly 2004August 2006~U.S. NavyDonald Rumsfeld -15Lieutenant GeneralVictor E. Renuart Jr.August 2006February 2007~U.S. Air ForceRobert Gates 16Lieutenant GeneralPeter W. ChiarelliMarch 2007August 2008~U.S. ArmyRobert Gates -17Lieutenant GeneralDavid M. RodriguezAugust 2008June 2009~U.S. ArmyRobert Gates -18Vice AdmiralJoseph D. KernanJune 2009April 2011~U.S. NavyRobert Gates -19Lieutenant GeneralJohn F. KellyApril 2011August 2012~U.S. Marine CorpsRobert GatesLeon Panetta -20Lieutenant GeneralThomas D. WaldhauserAugust 2012September 2013~U.S. Marine CorpsLeon PanettaChuck Hagel -21Lieutenant GeneralRobert B. AbramsSeptember 201324 June 2015~U.S. ArmyChuck HagelAsh Carter -22Lieutenant GeneralRonald F. Lewis24 June 201512 November 2015U.S. ArmyAsh Carter 23Brigadier GeneralEric Smith~7 January 2016~23 June 2017~U.S. Marine CorpsAsh CarterJim Mattis 24Vice AdmiralCraig S. Faller~23 June 2017~1 September 2018~U.S. NavyJim Mattis 25Lieutenant GeneralGeorge W. Smith Jr.1 September 201812 August 2019U.S. Marine CorpsJim MattisMark Esper 26Lieutenant GeneralBryan P. Fenton12 August 20193 June 2021U.S. ArmyMark EsperLloyd Austin 27Lieutenant GeneralRandy George3 June 2021~7 July 2022U.S. ArmyLloyd Austin 28Lieutenant GeneralRonald P. Clark~7 July 20221 October 2024U.S. ArmyLloyd Austin 29Lieutenant GeneralJennifer Short1 October 202422 February 2025U.S. Air ForceLloyd AustinPete Hegseth 30Lieutenant GeneralChristopher LaNeve7 April 20255 February 2026U.S. ArmyPete Hegseth31Vice AdmiralJohn F.G. Wade26 May 2026IncumbentU.S. NavyPete Hegseth
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