Deputy Secretary of Defense (DepSecDef) Robert O. Work.
One of the greatest misconceptions that civilians have about the U.S. Secretary of Defense is the belief that his primary task is that of an administrator. Wrong. In fact, the secretary’s job is that of a strategist. The role of administrator falls to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
The Secretary of Defense needs to understand intuitively the way that the world works and America’s role within it. More important, he must understand the U.S. military’s contribution to that role. So the Secretary of Defense is not simply a glorified bean counter. The role of his deputy, however, is to manage the Pentagon’s vast bureaucracy on behalf of the secretary in order to accomplish the secretary and the president’s directives.
General Jim Mattis, Donald Trump’s nominee for the Secretary of Defense, is not only a strategist, but as his testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday showed, he is well-equipped to deal with these detail-oriented bureaucratic issues. But the incoming Secretary of Defense should not be bogged down by bureaucratic minutiae. His primary concern should be ensuring that America’s warfighting capabilities remain unmatched.
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Brandon J. Weichert is a geopolitical analyst and author. His book, "Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower" is due out in Fall 2020 from Republic Book Publishers and addresses the need for a U.S. Space Force, the threats the United States faces from rising technological powers, such as China, in space, and where the United States should be moving in terms of space defense, exploration, and development. On top of that, Brandon is the founder and manager of The Weichert Report: World News Done Right, where he delivers unconventional reportage on some of the world's most important news stories. He is also a contributing editor at American Greatness and The American Spectator, and he contributes to Real Clear Public Affairs, Real Clear World, and Real Clear Defense regularly. Brandon's work on national security has also been republished in Yahoo! News, the New York Post, The Spectator US, and The National Interest. Brandon is a frequent guest on The John Batchelor Show where he comments on Chinese technology and trade policies. He travels the country briefing audiences from the military and tech investment community on matters related to technology and national security. Brandon is a recovering Congressional staffer who holds an M.A. in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. and he can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon. Please be sure to follow The Weichert Report's Facebook page @theweichertreport, too. For any press or media inquiries email him at theweichertreport@gmail.com.
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