// salute.nw — Command
Secretaries of Defense
The Department of Defense was established September 18, 1947, unifying the armed services under civilian leadership. 31 Secretaries from Forrestal to Hegseth.
31
Secretaries
1947
Established
| # | Secretary of Defense | Appointed By | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Forrestal | Harry S. Truman | 1947-09-17 | 1949-03-28 |
| 2 | Louis Johnson | Harry S. Truman | 1949-03-28 | 1950-09-19 |
| 3 | George C. Marshall | Harry S. Truman | 1950-09-21 | 1951-09-12 |
| 4 | Robert A. Lovett | Harry S. Truman | 1951-09-17 | 1953-01-20 |
| 5 | Charles E. Wilson | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1953-01-28 | 1957-10-08 |
| 6 | Neil H. McElroy | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1957-10-09 | 1959-12-01 |
| 7 | Thomas S. Gates Jr. | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1959-12-02 | 1961-01-20 |
| 8 | Robert S. McNamara | John F. Kennedy | 1961-01-21 | 1968-02-29 |
| 9 | Clark M. Clifford | Lyndon B. Johnson | 1968-03-01 | 1969-01-20 |
| 10 | Melvin R. Laird | Richard Nixon | 1969-01-22 | 1973-01-29 |
| 11 | Elliot L. Richardson | Richard Nixon | 1973-01-30 | 1973-07-02 |
| 12 | James R. Schlesinger | Richard Nixon | 1973-07-02 | 1975-11-19 |
| 13 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | Gerald Ford | 1975-11-19 | 1977-01-20 |
| 14 | Harold Brown | Jimmy Carter | 1977-01-21 | 1981-01-20 |
| 15 | Caspar W. Weinberger | Ronald Reagan | 1981-01-21 | 1987-11-23 |
| 16 | Frank C. Carlucci | Ronald Reagan | 1987-11-23 | 1989-01-20 |
| 17 | Dick Cheney | George H.W. Bush | 1989-03-21 | 1993-01-20 |
| 18 | Les Aspin | Bill Clinton | 1993-01-21 | 1994-02-03 |
| 19 | William J. Perry | Bill Clinton | 1994-02-03 | 1997-01-23 |
| 20 | William S. Cohen | Bill Clinton | 1997-01-24 | 2001-01-20 |
| 21 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | George W. Bush | 2001-01-20 | 2006-12-18 |
| 22 | Robert M. Gates | George W. Bush | 2006-12-18 | 2011-07-01 |
| 23 | Leon E. Panetta | Barack Obama | 2011-07-01 | 2013-02-27 |
| 24 | Chuck Hagel | Barack Obama | 2013-02-27 | 2015-02-17 |
| 25 | Ash Carter | Barack Obama | 2015-02-17 | 2017-01-20 |
| 26 | James N. Mattis | Donald J. Trump | 2017-01-20 | 2019-01-01 |
| 27 | Patrick M. Shanahan | Donald J. Trump | 2019-01-01 | 2019-07-23 |
| 28 | Mark T. Esper | Donald J. Trump | 2019-07-23 | 2020-11-09 |
| 29 | Christopher C. Miller | Donald J. Trump | 2020-11-09 | 2021-01-20 |
| 30 | Lloyd J. Austin III | Joe Biden | 2021-01-22 | 2025-01-20 |
| 31 | Pete Hegseth Current | Donald J. Trump | 2025-01-25 | Present |