View source for United States Secretary of the Army

{{short description|Statutory office and the head of the U.S. Department of the Army}}
{{Distinguish|Chief of Staff of the United States Army}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = United States Secretary
| body = the Army
| flag = Flag of the United States Secretary of the Army.svg
| flagsize = 150
| flagcaption = Flag of the secretary<ref>{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607221710/http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r840_10.pdf |date=2010-06-07 |access-date=2023-04-07}}</ref>
| insignia = Seal of the US Department of the Army.svg
| insigniasize = 120
| insigniacaption = [[Department of the Army Seal and Emblem|Seal of the U.S. Department of the Army]]
| image = Christine Wormuth official portrait.jpg
| incumbent = [[Christine Wormuth]]
| acting = no
| incumbentsince = May 28, 2021
| department = [[United States Department of the Army]]
| reports_to = [[United States Secretary of Defense]]
| style = Madam Secretary
| appointer = [[President of the United States]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| termlength = No fixed term
| first = [[Kenneth Claiborne Royall]]
| formation = September 18, 1947
| precursor = [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]]
| succession = [[United States Secretary of Defense#Succession|2nd in SecDef succession]]
| deputy = [[Under Secretary of the Army]]<br />[[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Chief of Staff of the Army]]
| salary = [[Executive Schedule|Executive Schedule, Level II]]
| website = {{Official website}}
| footnotes =
}}
The '''secretary of the Army''' ('''SA''' or '''SECARMY''') is a senior civilian official within the [[United States Department of Defense]], with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the [[United States Army]]: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications and financial management.

The secretary of the Army is nominated by the [[president of the United States]] and confirmed by the [[United States Senate]]. The secretary is a non-Cabinet-level official, subordinate to the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of Defense]].<ref>{{cite web |title=10 U.S. Code § 7013 - Secretary of the Army |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/7013 |access-date=2022-12-13}}</ref> This position was created on September 18, 1947, replacing the [[United States Secretary of War|secretary of war]], when the [[United States Department of War|Department of War]] was split into the [[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]] and [[Department of the Air Force]].<ref name="a">{{cite book|chapter="Kenneth Claiborne Royall"|chapter-url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/sw-sa/Royall.htm|year=1992|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]|access-date=2007-09-22|url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/sw-sa/SWSA-Fm.htm|title=Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits and Biographical Sketches|first=William Gardner|last=Bell|archive-date=December 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214152450/http://www.history.army.mil/books/sw-sa/SWSA-Fm.htm}}</ref>

On May 28, 2021, [[Christine Wormuth]] was sworn in as the 25th (and current) secretary of the Army, the first woman to serve in the role.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Secretary of the Army {{!}} The United States Army|url=https://www.army.mil/leaders/sa/bio/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=Secretary of the Army {{!}} The United States Army|language=en}}</ref>

== Roles and responsibilities ==
The Army senior leadership consists of two civilians; the secretary of the Army and the [[United States Under Secretary of the Army|under secretary of the Army]]—and two military officers of [[four-star rank]]—the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|chief of staff of the United States Army]] and the [[Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army|vice chief of staff]].

The secretary of the Army ({{UnitedStatesCode|10|7013}}) is in effect the [[chief executive officer]] of the Department of the Army, and the chief of staff of the Army works directly for the secretary. The secretary presents and justifies Army policies, plans, programs, and budgets to the secretary of defense, other executive branch officials, and to the [[United States Congress|congressional]] Defense Committees. The secretary also communicates Army policies, plans, programs, capabilities, and accomplishments to the public. As necessary, the secretary convenes meetings with the senior leadership of the Army to debate issues, provide direction, and seek advice. The secretary is a member of the [[Defense Acquisition Board]].

The secretary of the Army has several responsibilities under the [[Uniform Code of Military Justice]], including the authority to convene general courts-martial.<ref name="b">{{cite web |title=Secretary of the Army |url=http://www.army.mil/leaders/leaders/SA/ |access-date=2007-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070921062151/http://www.army.mil/leaders/leaders/SA/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2007-09-21}}</ref>

==Office of the Secretary of the Army==
The Office of the Secretary of the Army is composed of the under secretary of the Army, the assistant secretaries of the Army, the [[Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army|administrative assistant to the secretary]], the general counsel of the Department of the Army, the inspector general of the Army, the chief of legislation, and the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee. Other offices may be established by law or by the secretary of the Army. No more than 1,900 Army officers on the active-duty list may be assigned or detailed to permanent duty in the Office of the Secretary of the Army and on the Army staff.<ref name=title10>{{cite web |title=10 U.S. Code § 7014 - Office of the Secretary of the Army|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/7014 |access-date=2022-12-13}}</ref>
* [[United States Under Secretary of the Army|Under Secretary of the Army]]
** [[United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology|Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology)]]
** [[Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works)]]
** [[Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller)]]
** [[Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment)]]
** [[Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)]]
** [[General Counsel of the Army]]
** [[Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army|Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army]]
** [[List of Inspectors General of the U.S. Army|Inspector General of the Army]]

Each civilian has a military counterpart, as shown in the diagram below. Thus, for example, the Army G-1 has a defined responsibility to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), the ASA (M&RA).

[[Image:Organization of the Department of the Army Headquarters.png|thumb|left|600px|Chart showing the organization of the Office of the Secretary of Army and its relationship to the Army Staff.]]
{{clear}}

==Chronological list of secretaries of the Army==
[[Kenneth Claiborne Royall]], the last [[United States Secretary of War|secretary of war]], became the first secretary of the Army when the [[National Defense Act of 1947]] took effect. [[Gordon Gray (politician)|Gordon Gray]] was the last Army secretary to hold the Cabinet status, which was henceforth assigned to the secretary of defense.<ref name="a"/><ref>{{cite book|chapter="Intro - Secretaries of War & Secretaries of the Army"|chapter-url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/sw-sa/Intro.htm|url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/sw-sa/SWSA-Fm.htm|title=Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits & Biographical Sketches|first=William Gardner|last=Bell|access-date=2007-09-22|archive-date=2007-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214152450/http://www.history.army.mil/books/sw-sa/SWSA-Fm.htm}}</ref>

Prior military service is not a requirement, but several have served in the United States armed forces. Secretary Stone (1989-1993) is the only holder to serve in the military outside of the [[United States]].

{{Chronological list of United States Secretaries of the Army}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{USSecArm}}
{{Current US Department of Defense Secretaries}}
{{US Army navbox}}
{{US military navbox}}
{{US Department of Defense Secretaries}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Secretary Of The Army}}
[[Category:Lists of members of the Cabinet of the United States|Army]]
[[Category:United States Secretaries of the Army|*]]