Benjamin Giltner
With the U.S. presidential election about a month away, analysts and pundits continue to speculate about who Harris or Trump will bring into their administrations. Yet, one crucial point overlooked is the sort of individual who will serve as secretary of defense. In other words, would a Harris or Trump administration appoint a civilian or military official to the position? The United States Code asserts that the secretary of defense can only be “appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.” However, there have been a total of three exceptions to this rule—two of them from the Trump and Biden administrations.
The next administration should return to basics and appoint a civilian as secretary of defense. Appointing a former military officer to the position seems understandable on the surface. After all, members of the armed services possess a keen expertise in warfare that most of the population cannot match. However, while knowledge of warfare is an obvious need for the Department of Defense, it is only one part of the job.
The position of secretary of defense serves as the bridge between politics and war. The office develops America’s defense strategy, which involves political, societal, and economic considerations, not just military ones. For instance, some of the job’s duties include deciding on the funding appropriation among each branch of the armed forces and helping to create a conventional and nuclear force posture to keep America safe.
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