§136 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

Creates an Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, a civilian picked by the President and approved by the Senate. A person cannot be picked for this job until seven years after leaving active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of the armed forces. Under the Secretary of Defense, this Under Secretary must carry out duties the Secretary assigns in areas like military readiness, force management, military and civilian personnel and training, family matters, exchanges and commissaries, nonappropriated funds, weapons-support personnel, National Guard and reserves, and health affairs. The Under Secretary ranks just after the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). The Under Secretary must monitor operations tempo and personnel tempo, set uniform rules and terms for deployments (including how long people may be away), and create standard reporting systems to track deployments.

Title 10, §136

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)There is an Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.

(b)Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe in the areas of military readiness, total force management, military and civilian personnel requirements, military and civilian personnel training, military and civilian family matters, exchange, commissary, and nonappropriated fund activities, personnel requirements for weapons support, National Guard and reserve components, and health affairs.

(c)The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness takes precedence in the Department of Defense after the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

(d)The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness is responsible, subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, for the monitoring of the operations tempo and personnel tempo of the armed forces. The Under Secretary shall establish, to the extent practicable, uniform standards within the Department of Defense for terminology and policies relating to deployment of units and personnel away from their assigned duty stations (including the length of time units or personnel may be away for such a deployment) and shall establish uniform reporting systems for tracking deployments.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 136 was renumbered section 138 of this title.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–81 substituted “an armed force” for “the armed forces”. 2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–91 inserted at end “A person may not be appointed as Under Secretary within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of the armed forces.” 1999—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–65, § 1066(a)(1), inserted “advice and” after “by and with the”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–65, § 923(a), added subsec. (d). 1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–106 substituted “Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)” for “Comptroller”.

§136 Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness