- United States Secretary of the Navy
-
Secretary of the Navy
SECNAV
Flag of the Secretary of the NavyStyle The Honorable Inaugural holder Benjamin Stoddert Formation 18 June 1798 Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy Salary Executive Schedule Level II Website Official Website The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization (military department) of the Department of Defense. The Secretary of the Navy was a member of the President's Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was placed under the Secretary of Defense.[1] The position of Secretary of the Navy is filled by appointment of the Executive Branch and requires confirmation by a majority vote of the Senate.
Contents
Responsibilities
Subordinate to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy is responsible for, and has statutory authority (Title 10 of the United States Code Section 5013) to "conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Navy", i.e. as its Chief Executive Officer. The Department of the Navy consists of two Uniformed Services: the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.[2] In effect, all authority within the Navy and Marine Corps is derivative of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Navy. Specifically enumerated responsibilities of the SECNAV in beforementioned section are: recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, mobilizing, and demobilizing. The Secretary also oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment and facilities. SECNAV is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by the President or the Secretary of Defense.[3][4]
Whenever the United States Coast Guard operates as a service within the Department of the Navy, the Secretary of the Navy has the same powers and duties with respect to the Coast Guard as the Secretary of Homeland Security when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy.[5] The principal military advisers to the SECNAV are the two service chiefs of the naval services: for matters regarding the Navy the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), and for matters regarding the Marine Corps the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC). The CNO and the Commandant act as the principal executive agents of the SECNAV within their respective services to implement the orders of the Secretary.
The Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service also reports directly to the SECNAV.
The Office of the Secretary of the Navy is also known as the Navy Secretariat, or simply just as the Secretariat in a DoN setting. The principal officials of the Secretariat include the Under Secretary of the Navy (the Secretary's principal civilian deputy), the Assistant Secretaries of the Navy (ASN), the General Counsel of the Department of the Navy, the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, the Naval Inspector General, the Chief of Legislative Affairs, and the Chief of Naval Research. The Office of the Secretary of the Navy has sole responsibility within the Department of the Navy for acquisition, auditing, financial and information management, legislative affairs, public affairs, research, and development.[6]
The Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have separate staffs, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Headquarters Marine Corps.
Denotes acting SecretariesContinental Congress
Position Picture Name Term of Office Chairman of the Marine Committee 
John Adams Oct 13, 1775–1779 Member of the Marine Committee 
John Langdon 13 October 1775 - ? Member of the Marine Committee 
Silas Deane 13 October 1775 - ? Member of the Marine Committee 
Joseph Hewes 1775 [9] Continental Navy Board
(under Marine Committee)November 6, 1776 - 28 October 28, 1779 Chairman of the Continental Board of Admiralty 
Francis Lewis Dec 1779 - 1780 Secretary of Marine Alexander McDougall February 7, 1781 - Aug 29, 1781 Agent of Marine
(devolved onto Superintendent of Finance)
Robert Morris Aug 29, 1781 - 1784 [10]
(post of Secretary of Marine created but remained vacant)Executive Department 1798-1947
No. Picture Name State Term of Office Served under 1 
Benjamin Stoddert Maryland June 18, 1798–March 31, 1801 John Adams 2 
Robert Smith Maryland July 27, 1801 - March 4, 1809 Thomas Jefferson 3 
Paul Hamilton South Carolina May 15, 1809–December 31, 1812 James Madison 4 
William Jones Pennsylvania January 19, 1813–December 1, 1814 5 
Benjamin Williams Crowninshield Massachusetts January 16, 1815–September 30, 1818 James Madison, James Monroe 6 
Smith Thompson New York January 1, 1819–August 31, 1823 James Monroe 7 
Samuel Lewis Southard New Jersey September 16, 1823–March 4, 1829 James Monroe, John Quincy Adams 8 
John Branch North Carolina March 9, 1829–May 12, 1831 Andrew Jackson 9 
Levi Woodbury New Hampshire May 23, 1831–June 30, 1834 10 
Mahlon Dickerson New Jersey July 1, 1834–June 30, 1838 Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren 11 
James Kirke Paulding New York July 1, 1838–March 4, 1841 Martin Van Buren 12 
George Edmund Badger North Carolina March 6, 1841–September 11, 1841 William Henry Harrison, John Tyler 13 
Abel Parker Upshur Virginia October 11, 1841–July 23, 1843 John Tyler 14 
David Henshaw Massachusetts July 24, 1843–February 18, 1844 15 
Thomas Walker Gilmer Virginia February 19, 1844–February 28, 1844 16 
John Young Mason Virginia March 26, 1844–March 4, 1845 17 
George Bancroft Massachusetts March 11, 1845–September 9, 1846 James Knox Polk 18 John Young Mason Virginia September 10, 1846–March 4, 1849 19 
William Ballard Preston Virginia March 8, 1849–July 22, 1850 Zachary Taylor 20 
William Alexander Graham North Carolina August 2, 1850–July 25, 1852 Millard Fillmore 21 
John Pendleton Kennedy Maryland July 26, 1852–March 4, 1853 22 
James Cochran Dobbin North Carolina March 8, 1853–March 4, 1857 Franklin Pierce 23 
Isaac Toucey Connecticut March 7, 1857–March 4, 1861 James Buchanan 24 
Gideon Welles Connecticut March 7, 1861–March 4, 1869 Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson 25 
Adolph Edward Borie Pennsylvania March 9, 1869–June 25, 1869 Ulysses S. Grant 26 
George Maxwell Robeson New Jersey June 26, 1869–March 4, 1877 (acting) 
William Faxon March 4, 1877–March 13, 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes 27 
Richard Wigginton Thompson Indiana March 13, 1877–December 20, 1880 28 
Nathan Goff, Jr. West Virginia January 7, 1881–March 4, 1881 29 
William Henry Hunt Louisiana March 7, 1881–April 16, 1882 James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur 30 
William Eaton Chandler New Hampshire April 16, 1882–March 4, 1885 Chester A. Arthur 31 
William Collins Whitney New York March 7, 1885–March 4, 1889 Grover Cleveland 32 
Benjamin Franklin Tracy New York March 6, 1889–March 4, 1893 Benjamin Harrison 33 
Hilary Abner Herbert Alabama March 7, 1893–March 4, 1897 Grover Cleveland 34 
John Davis Long Massachusetts March 6, 1897–April 30, 1902 William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt 35 
William Henry Moody Massachusetts May 1, 1902–June 30, 1904 Theodore Roosevelt 36 
Paul Morton Michigan July 1, 1904–June 30, 1905 37 
Charles Joseph Bonaparte Maryland July 1, 1905–December 16, 1906 38 
Victor Howard Metcalf California December 17, 1906–November 30, 1908 39 
Truman Handy Newberry Michigan December 1, 1908–March 4, 1909 40 
George von Lengerke Meyer Massachusetts March 6, 1909–March 4, 1913 William Howard Taft 41 
Josephus Daniels North Carolina March 5, 1913–March 4, 1921 Woodrow Wilson 42 
Edwin Denby Michigan March 6, 1921–March 10, 1924 Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge (acting) 
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. New York March 10, 1924–March 19, 1924 Calvin Coolidge 43 
Curtis Dwight Wilbur California March 19, 1924–March 4, 1929 44 
Charles Francis Adams III Massachusetts March 5, 1929–March 4, 1933 Herbert Hoover 45 
Claude Augustus Swanson Virginia March 4, 1933–July 7, 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt 46 
Charles Edison New Jersey July 7, 1939–January 2, 1940 January 2, 1940–June 24, 1940 (acting) Lewis Compton June 24, 1940–July 11, 1940 47 
William Franklin Knox Illinois July 11, 1940–April 28, 1944 (acting) 
Ralph A. Bard April 28, 1944–May 19, 1944 48 
James Vincent Forrestal New York May 19, 1944–September 17, 1947 Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S Truman Military Department (Department of Defense) 1947-
No. Picture Name Term of Office Served under 1 
John L. Sullivan September 18, 1947–May 24, 1949 Harry S. Truman 2 
Francis P. Matthews May 25, 1949–July 31, 1951 3 
Dan A. Kimball July 31, 1951–January 20, 1953 4 
Robert B. Anderson February 4, 1953–March 3, 1954 Dwight D. Eisenhower 5 
Charles S. Thomas May 3, 1954–April 1, 1957 6 
Thomas S. Gates April 1, 1957–June 8, 1959 7 
William B. Franke June 8, 1959–January 19, 1961 8 
John B. Connally, Jr January 25, 1961–December 20, 1961 John F. Kennedy 9 
Fred Korth January 4, 1962–November 1, 1963 (acting) 
Paul B. Fay November 2, 1963–November 28, 1963 John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson 10 
Paul H. Nitze November 29, 1963–June 30, 1967 Lyndon B. Johnson (acting) Charles F. Baird July 1, 1967–August 31, 1967 11 
Paul R. Ignatius September 1, 1967–January 24, 1969 12 
John H. Chafee January 31, 1969–May 4, 1972 Richard M. Nixon 13 
John W. Warner May 4, 1972–April 8, 1974 14 
J. William Middendorf, II April 8, 1974–January 20, 1977 Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford 15 
W. Graham Claytor, Jr. February 14, 1977–August 24, 1979 Jimmy Carter 16 
Edward Hidalgo October 24, 1979–January 20, 1981 17 
John Lehman February 5, 1981–April 10, 1987 Ronald Reagan 18 
Jim Webb May 1, 1987–February 23, 1988 19 
William L. Ball March 28, 1988–May 15, 1989 Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush 20 
Henry L. Garrett III May 15, 1989–June 26, 1992 George H.W. Bush (acting) Daniel Howard June 26, 1992–July 7, 1992 21 
Sean O'Keefe July 7, 1992–October 2, 1992 October 2, 1992–January 20, 1993 (acting) 
Admiral Frank B. Kelso II January 20, 1993–July 21, 1993 Bill Clinton 22 
John H. Dalton July 22, 1993–November 16, 1998 23 
Richard Danzig November 16, 1998–January 20, 2001 (acting) 
Robert B. Pirie, Jr. January 20, 2001–May 24, 2001 George W. Bush 24 
Gordon R. England May 24, 2001–January 30, 2003 (acting) 
Susan Livingstone January 30, 2003–February 7, 2003 (acting) 
Hansford T. Johnson February 7, 2003–September 30, 2003 25 Gordon R. England October 1, 2003–December 29, 2005[11] (acting) 
Dionel M. Aviles December 29, 2005[11] - January 3, 2006[11] 26 
Donald C. Winter January 3, 2006[11] - March 13, 2009[12] George W. Bush, Barack Obama (acting) 
B. J. Penn March 13, 2009[12] - May 19, 2009[13] Barack Obama 27 
Ray Mabus May 19, 2009[12] - Present References
- ^ "Guide to Federal Records - General Records of the Department of the Navy, 1798–1947". http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/080.html#80.1. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "The US Navy". http://www.navy.mil/navydata/leadership/secnav_resp.asp. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "US CODE: Title 10,5013. Secretary of the Navy". http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00005013----000-.html. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "U.S. Navy Biographies - The Honorable Donald C. Winter". http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=325. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "US CODE: Title 10,5013a. Secretary of the Navy: powers with respect to Coast Guard". http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00005013---a000-.html. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "US CODE: Title 10,5014. Office of the Secretary of the Navy". http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00005014----000-.html. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ "Department of the Navy, Office of the General Counsel (DON-OGC) - OGC History". Archived from the original on July 24, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070724110938/http://ogc.navy.mil/ogchistory.asp. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ Cahoon, Ben (2000). "United States Government". World Statesmen. http://worldstatesmen.org/USA_govt.html#Navy. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ Joseph Hewes. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical and Heritage Command.
- ^ Benson J. Lossing. Household History for All Readers. 1877. Republished in Our Country vol. 2
- ^ a b c d Staff reporter (2005-12-29). "Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Relinquishes Top Navy Post". American Forces Press Service. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=18435. Retrieved 2009-05-18. "Navy Undersecretary Dionel M. Aviles will serve as acting Navy secretary effective today. Donald Winter, who was confirmed by the Senate last month, will be sworn in as the 74th secretary of the Navy on Jan. 3."
- ^ a b c "Navy Secretary Departs Office" (Press release). United States Department of Defense. 2009-03-13. http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12554. Retrieved 2009-05-18. "The 74th Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, resigned his office today as planned. Winter had agreed to remain in office until March 13, 2009, to ease the transition of the Department of Defense. [...] BJ Penn will be the acting Secretary of the Navy until the Senate confirms a nominee chosen by President Barack Obama."
- ^ Staff reporter (2005-05-19). "Mabus Sworn in as New Navy Secretary". NNS. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=18435. Retrieved 2009-05-20. "Ray Mabus, former Mississippi governor and U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was sworn in May 19 as the 75th secretary of the Navy." (Archived by WebCite at WebCite)
Senior Officials in the United States Department of Defense Secretary of Defense: Leon Panetta
Deputy Secretary of Defense: Ashton Carter
Secretaries of the Military Departments:
Secretary of the Army: John McHugh • Secretary of the Navy: Ray Mabus • Secretary of the Air Force: Michael DonleyChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Martin Dempsey, USA
Under Secretaries of Defense:
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics: Frank Kendall III (Acting) • Policy: Michèle Flournoy • Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer: Robert Hale • Personnel and Readiness: Clifford Stanley • Intelligence: Michael VickersVice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: James Winnefeld, USN
Chiefs of the Military Services:
Chief of Staff of the Army: Raymond Odierno • Commandant of the Marine Corps: James Amos • Chief of Naval Operations: Jonathan Greenert • Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Norton Schwartz
Agencies under the United States Department of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense 
Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition, Technology and LogisticsDirector, Defense Research and Engineering · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency · Missile Defense Agency · Defense Contract Management Agency · Defense Logistics Agency · Defense Technical Information Center · Defense Threat Reduction Agency · Office of Economic Adjustment · Defense Acquisition University · Business Transformation AgencyUnder Secretary of Defense for Policy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and ReadinessDefense Commissary Agency · Department of Defense Education Activity · DoD Human Resources Activity · Military Health System · Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences · Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute · Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional DevelopmentUnder Secretary of Defense
for IntelligenceService Departments Leaders of the United States federal executive departments Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Education • Energy • Health and Human Services • Homeland Security • Housing and Urban Development • Interior • Justice • Labor • State • Transportation • Treasury • Veterans Affairs
Past department leaders: Commerce and Labor • Health, Education, and Welfare • Navy • Post Office • WarLeadership - Commander-in-chief: President of the United States
- Secretary of Defense
- Deputy Secretary of Defense
- Joint Chiefs of Staff (Chairman)
- United States Congress: Committees on Armed Services:
- Active duty four-star officers
- Highest ranking officers in history
- National Security Act of 1947
- Goldwater–Nichols Act
Organization BranchesReserve componentsStructure - United States Code
- The Pentagon
- Installations
- Budget
- Units:
- Logistics
- Media
Operations and history - Current deployments
- Conflicts
- Wars
- Timeline
- History:
- Colonial
- WWII
- Civil affairs
- African Americans
- Asian Americans
- Jewish Americans
- Sikh Americans
- Historiography:
- Art:
- A
- AF
Personnel TrainingOther- Oath:
- Creeds & Codes:
- Service numbers:
- A
- MC
- N
- AF
- CG
- Military Occupational Specialty/Rating/Air Force Specialty Code
- Pay
- Uniform Code of Military Justice
- Judge Advocate General's Corps
- Military Health System/TRICARE
- Separation
- Veterans Affairs
- Conscription
- Chiefs of Chaplains:
Equipment LandSeaAirOtherLegend: A = Army, MC = Marine Corps, N = Navy, AF = Air Force, CG = Coast Guard, PHS = Public Health Service, NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, MSC = Military Sealift CommandLeadership 
Structure Operating ForcesFleet Forces Command · Pacific Fleet · Naval Forces Europe · Naval Forces Central Command · Naval Forces Southern Command · Naval Special Warfare Command · Naval Reserve Forces · Operational Test and Evaluation Force · Naval Network Warfare Command · Military Sealift CommandShore EstablismentsNaval Sea Systems Command · Naval Air Systems Command · Naval Facilities Engineering Command · Naval Supply Systems Command · Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command · Naval Academy · Naval Education and Training Command · Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command · Office of Naval Intelligence · Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center · Naval Security Group Command · Naval Legal Service Command · Naval Observatory · Naval Safety Center · Bureau of Naval Personnel · Bureau of Medicine and SurgeryNumbered fleetsStructureA–B · C · D–F · G–H · I–K · L · M · N–O · P · Q–R · S · T–V · W–Z
Aircraft carriers · Airships · Amphibious warfare ships · Auxiliaries · Battleships · Cruisers · Destroyers · Destroyer escorts · Escort carriers · Frigates · Mine warfare vessels · Monitors · Patrol vessels · Sailing frigates · Steam frigates · Steam gunboats · Ships of the line · Sloops of war · Submarines · Torpedo boatsPersonnel and training People · Officers: Officer insignia / Designators · Enlisted: Enlisted insignia / Ratings / Classification
Hospital Corpsman · Naval Aviator · SEALs · Seabees · SWCCs · Hispanic sailors
Personnel: Chaplain Corps (Chief of Chaplains) · United States Navy EOD · Medical Corps · Dental Corps · Nurse Corps · Medical Service Corps · Supply Corps · Civil Engineer Corps · JAG Corps (JAG) · NCIS · Boatswain's mates
Training: Recruit training · United States Naval Academy · Officer Candidate School · STA-21 · NROTC · BESS · BFTT · CNATT · COMPTUEX · NAWCTSD · Naval Chaplaincy School · Naval Hospital Corps School · Naval Justice School · Naval Postgraduate School · Navy School of Music · Navy Senior Enlisted Academy · Navy Supply Corps School · Naval War College · Nuclear Power School · JMTC · TOPGUN · USNTPS · Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesEquipment History and traditions History · "Anchors Aweigh" · Blue Angels · Continental Navy · Ensign · Fleet bands · Fleet Week · Jack · Line-crossing ceremony · National Museum · Navy Band · Navy Flag · Navy Hymn · Navy Memorial · Navy service numbers · Sailor's Creed · Ship commissioning · Ship decommissioning · USS Constitution · Wetting-downLeadership Secretary of the Navy · Under Secretary of the Navy · Commandant of the Marine Corps · Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps · Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps · Four-star generals · United States Congress (House Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces · Senate Subcommittee on Seapower)
Major
commandsStructure Personnel &
trainingPersonnel: Rank insignia · MOS · Notable Marines · Historical Marines · Criminal Investigation Division · Judge Advocate Division · Chaplain of the Marine Corps · Hispanic Marines · Associated organizations
Training: Recruit Training · School of Infantry · Officer Candidates School · The Basic School · Martial Arts ProgramUniforms &
equipmentUniforms · Awards · Badges · Weapons · Vehicles and aircraft · Individual equipment
History &
traditionsHistory · Culture · Acronyms and terms · Birthday Ball · Eagle, Globe, and Anchor · Marine Band · Drum and Bugle Corps · Service Numbers · Marine Corps War Memorial · Flag · Marine One · Marines' Hymn · National Museum · Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima · Rifleman's Creed · Semper Fidelis · Silent Drill Platoon · Toys for Tots
Categories:- United States Secretaries of the Navy
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- Former United States Executive Cabinet positions
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