U.S. Secretary of Defense

List of U.S. Secretary of Defense articles

Lloyd Austin stares down, wearing a suit, his hands clasped together.
Lloyd Austin stares down, wearing a suit, his hands clasped together.

Biden’s Defense Chief Puts Alliances at Center Stage of U.S. Defense

A 10-day world tour ended with a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

Lloyd Austin walks off a plane on red stairs.
Lloyd Austin walks off a plane on red stairs.

U.S. Defense Secretary to Meet Chinese Counterpart

China has gained military and diplomatic footholds in Cambodia and the Solomon Islands.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meets with retiring commander of CENTCOM Gen. Tommy Franks (left) in Tampa, Florida, on July 7, 2003.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meets with retiring commander of CENTCOM Gen. Tommy Franks (left) in Tampa, Florida, on July 7, 2003.

Donald Rumsfeld Freed the World From ‘Mutual Assured Destruction’

His thinking on arms control proved prescient—but the howls reverberate to this day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Brazil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Brazil.

Russian Arms Sale Clouds U.S.-India Ties

New Delhi’s deal for the Russian S-400 system could limit burgeoning military ties with Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump and then-Defense Secretary James Mattis attend a cabinet meeting in the White House on March 8, 2018. (Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump and then-Defense Secretary James Mattis attend a cabinet meeting in the White House on March 8, 2018. (Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

Mattis Was the Best Secretary of Defense Trump Could Have Had

In grading him, we must adjust for the difficulty of the assignment.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a reception with Secretary of Defense James Mattis in the East Room of the White House on October 25, 2018.
U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a reception with Secretary of Defense James Mattis in the East Room of the White House on October 25, 2018.

Americans’ Blind Faith in the Military Is Dangerous

U.S. citizens show deference to the armed forces regardless of their political persuasion. Their willingness to let the generals decide is a threat to the democratic tradition of civilian oversight.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (center) speaks alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford (center left) and other senior Defense Department leaders as he holds a meeting with Indonesia Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 28. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (center) speaks alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford (center left) and other senior Defense Department leaders as he holds a meeting with Indonesia Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 28. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
John Bolton talks with Ban Ki-moon at the South Korean Foreign Ministry in Seoul on July 20, 2004. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
John Bolton talks with Ban Ki-moon at the South Korean Foreign Ministry in Seoul on July 20, 2004. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Give John Bolton a Chance

If you squint at Trump’s new national security advisor, you might see some silver linings.

Turkish tanks pass front of a giant poster of Recep Tayyip Erdogan on August 30,2014 in Istanbul. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)
Turkish tanks pass front of a giant poster of Recep Tayyip Erdogan on August 30,2014 in Istanbul. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)

General Erdogan’s First War

Turkey’s Islamist president is the first civilian with control over his country’s military – and you can tell by the results.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11:  U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks at a ceremony to commemorate the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon September 11, 2017 in Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump was presiding over his first 9/11 commemoration on the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people when hijackers flew commercial airplanes into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks at a ceremony to commemorate the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon September 11, 2017 in Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump was presiding over his first 9/11 commemoration on the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people when hijackers flew commercial airplanes into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)

Does the Military Need a Micromanager?

The Trump White House has delegated enormous responsibility to the Pentagon to look after itself, with predictable results.

US President Donald Trump speaks following the ceremonial swearing-in of James Mattis (R) as secretary of defense on January 27, 2017, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN        (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump speaks following the ceremonial swearing-in of James Mattis (R) as secretary of defense on January 27, 2017, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Here’s How Trump’s Ban on Transgender Service Members Can Serve as a Teaching Moment

The way the president rolled out this decision is almost a textbook example of how not to make difficult decisions on military policy.

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mattis

All the President’s Generals

There’s some reason for concern about the balance of America’s civil-military relations, but it’s the civil side we should be worried about.

Myanmar soldiers patrol in Laukkai, the main city in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar Shan state, on February 16, 2015. Growing fighting between Myanmar's Army and ethnic Kokang fighters in a region bordering China has killed dozens in the past week and sent tens of thousands fleeing across the frontier, reports said on February 16. AFP / STRINGER        (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)
Myanmar soldiers patrol in Laukkai, the main city in the Kokang region of northern Myanmar Shan state, on February 16, 2015. Growing fighting between Myanmar's Army and ethnic Kokang fighters in a region bordering China has killed dozens in the past week and sent tens of thousands fleeing across the frontier, reports said on February 16. AFP / STRINGER (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States of Myanmar?

A federal system of government may be Myanmar's best step forward towards national unity and a more robust democratic process.

PAKISTAN-MILITARY-DEFENCE-AIRCRAFT
PAKISTAN-MILITARY-DEFENCE-AIRCRAFT

Law and (Military) Order

A new constitutional amendment in Pakistan cedes civilian power to the military.

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