Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment explained

Post:Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment
Insignia:Emblem of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations & Environment.png
Insigniacaption:Seal of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment
Department:Office of the Secretary of Defense
Reports To:Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Incumbent:Brendan Owens
Incumbentsince:January 26, 2023
Style:The Honorable
(formal address in writing)
Appointer:The President
with the advice and consent of the Senate
Termlength:No fixed term
Formation:February 10, 2022

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment (ASD(EI&E)), concurrently the Chief Sustainability Officer, and formerly known as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment (DUSD(I&E)), provides management and oversight of military installations worldwide and manages environmental, safety, and occupational health programs for the Department of Defense (DoD). DoD's installations cover some 29000000acres, with 539,000 buildings and structures valued at more than $700 billion. The responsibilities of the ASD(EI&E) include the development of installation capabilities, programs, and budgets; installation-energy programs and policy; base realignment and closure; privatization of military housing and utilities; and integration of environmental needs into the weapons acquisition process. The ASD(EI&E) is also responsible for environmental management, safety and occupational health; environmental restoration at active and closing bases; conservation of natural and cultural resources; pollution prevention; environmental research and technology; fire protection; and explosives safety.[1] The ASD(EI&E) reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and is a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

History

Responsibility over installations and environmental affairs at the Defense Department was spread out across a variety of positions over time. Oversight for installations has been lumped together in the past with manpower, acquisition, and logistics functions (see, for example, the history of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy). For a brief period in the mid-1990s, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Economic Security had oversight for installations and the base realignment and closure (BRAC) program, in addition to DoD policy in the areas of industrial affairs, dual-use technology, international cooperation programs, and community economic adjustment.[2] On April 5, 1996, the DoD nullified Defense Directive 5134.7 (signed August 21, 1995), thereby abolishing the ASD(Economic Security) while noting that this position has served the "purpose for which it was intended and is no longer required." Responsibility for installations then migrated to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations.

Oversight for environmental affairs was linked together with health affairs for many years (see, for example, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs). In 2001, the responsibilities for installation and environment functions were merged into a single office. This office is not one of the five Principal Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense authorized by law, as articulated in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010.[3] Thus, DoD is statutorily obligated to re-designate this office in the near future, similar to the recent re-designation of the Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense within the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

As part of a reorganization on February 1, 2018, the ASD(EI&E) was abolished and combined with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness to form a new Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment.[4] [5] The ASD(EI&E) was reestablished on February 10, 2022.

Officeholders

The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.

Deputy Under Secretaries of Defense (Installations and Environment)[6]
NameTenureSecDef(s) served underPresident(s) served under
Responsibility for Installations
Director of Installations
Frank Creedon August 25, 1952 - June 29, 1953 Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Properties and Installations)
Franklin G. Floete August 3, 1953 - March 4, 1956 Dwight Eisenhower
Floyd S. Bryant May 2, 1956 - January 20, 1961 Dwight Eisenhower
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics)
Thomas D. Morris January 29, 1961 - December 11, 1964John F. Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Paul R. Ignatius December 23, 1964 - August 31, 1967 Lyndon Johnson
Thomas D. Morris September 1, 1967 - February 1, 1969 Lyndon Johnson
February 1, 1969 - February 1, 1973 Richard Nixon
June 21, 1973 - March 31, 1975 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
John J. Bennett (Acting) April 1, 1975 - February 9, 1976 Gerald Ford
Frank A. Shrontz February 10, 1976 - January 19, 1977 Gerald Ford
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Installations, and Logistics)
January 12, 1984 - July 5, 1985 Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Development and Support)
James P. Wade August 6, 1984 - July 5, 1985 Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Logistics)
James P. Wade July 5, 1985 - November 3, 1986 Ronald Reagan
Robert B. Costello March 13, 1987 - April 15, 1987 Ronald Reagan
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Production and Logistics)
Robert B. Costello April 15, 1987 - December 17, 1987 Ronald Reagan
Jack Katzen March 28, 1988 - January 8, 1990 Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Colin R. McMillan March 5, 1990 - December 11, 1992 George H. W. Bush
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Economic Security)
Joshua Gotbaum May 20, 1994 - December 25, 1995 Bill Clinton
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations)
Randall A. Yim 1999[7] - 2001 Bill Clinton
Responsibility for Environment
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health and Environment)
Dr. Louis M. RousselotJuly 22, 1970 - July 1, 1971 Richard Nixon
Dr. Richard S. Wilbur July 27, 1971 - September 1, 1973 Richard Nixon
Dr. James R. Cowan February 19, 1974 - March 1, 1976 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Vernon McKenzie (Acting) March 2, 1976 - March 8, 1976 Gerald Ford
Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental Security
1993 - 2001 Bill Clinton
Merged Responsibilities
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment)
April 2001 - October 31, 2004 George W. Bush
Philip W. Grone November 1, 2004[8] - February 2008 George W. Bush
Wayne Arny February 2008 - July 2009 George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Dr. Dorothy Robyn July 15, 2009[9] - September 2012[10] Barack Obama
John Conger (Acting) September 2012[11] - December 2014 Barack Obama
Merged Responsibilities
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Energy, Installations and Environment)
John Conger (Performing the Duties of)[12] December 2014[13] - December 2015[14] Barack Obama
Pete Potochney (Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment)[15] December 2015 - August 1, 2017[16] Barack Obama
Donald Trump
August 2, 2017 - July 2018[17] Donald Trump
Merged Responsibilities
Subsumed under Assistant Secretary of Defense (Sustainment) August 2018 - February 2022[18]
Established Responsibilities
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Energy, Installations, and Environment)
Paul D. Cramer (Performing the Duties of)[19] February 10, 2022 – January 26, 2023 Joe Biden
January 26, 2023 – present Joe Biden

Notes and References

  1. Web site: DUSD (I&E) - DUSD (I&E) Biography . Acq.osd.mil . 2011-04-15 . 2012-07-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071207192645/http://www.acq.osd.mil/ie/ie_bio_dusd-ie.shtml . 2007-12-07 .
  2. http://www.dod.gov/execsec/adr95/econ_5.html
  3. Title IX, Subtitle A, Section 906, Part b, Web site: Archived copy . 2011-02-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110203055219/http://intelligence.senate.gov/pdfs/military_act_2009.pdf . 2011-02-03 .
  4. News: The Pentagon's acquisition office is gone. Here's what the next 120 days bring.. Mehta. Aaron. 2018-02-02. Defense News. 2018-02-22. en-US.
  5. Web site: Report to Congress: Restructuring the Department of Defense Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Organization and Chief Management Officer Organization. 2017-08-01. 2018-02-22.
  6. Web site: Department of Defense Key Officials . Historical Office, OSD . 2004 . 2011-02-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721034250/http://osdhistory.defense.gov/docs/DOD%20Key%20Officials%201947-2004.pdf . 2011-07-21 .
  7. Web site: Speech . Defense.gov . 2012-07-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121014065836/http://www.defense.gov/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=381 . 2012-10-14 .
  8. News: Subject: Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment . Defense AT&L . Michael W. . Wynne . 2005.
  9. Web site: News Release: Senior Executive Service Appointments and Reassignments . Defense.gov . 2009-03-12 . 2012-07-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121014065847/http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12822 . 2012-10-14 .
  10. Web site: Dorothy Robyn is GSA's pick as Public Buildings Service commissioner. washingtonpost.com . 2012-09-04 . 2012-11-27.
  11. Web site: DUSD(I&E) Biography . www.acq.osd.mil . 2012-09-21 . 2012-11-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071207192645/http://www.acq.osd.mil/ie/ie_bio_dusd-ie.shtml . 2007-12-07 .
  12. Web site: New Year Ushers in New Installations, Energy Organization at Pentagon . www.defensecommunities.org/ . 2015-01-11 . 2015-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091738/http://www.defensecommunities.org/headlines/new-year-ushers-in-new-installations-energy-organization-at-pentagon/ . 2015-04-02 . dead .
  13. Web site: I&E Featured News ANNOUNCEMENT . www.acq.osd.mil . 2014-12-20 . 2015-03-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150308190409/http://www.acq.osd.mil/ie/ . 2015-03-08 .
  14. Web site: Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) . www.defense.gov/ . 2016-09-24.
  15. Web site: Mr. Peter Potochney Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment . 2022-09-28.
  16. Web site: Trump picks Army official for sustainment job; intel nominee coming soon . www.defensenews.com/ . 2020-02-25 . 2022-09-27.
  17. Web site: New Navy secretary, 7 other DoD officials confirmed by Senate . DefenseNews.com/ . 2017-08-01 . 2022-09-27.
  18. Web site: Statement of Mr. Paul Cramer Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Energy, Installations & Environment) Before the House Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness Department of Defense Energy, Installations & Environment Programs . 2022-03-16 . 2022-09-27.
  19. Web site: Paul D. Cramer Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment. 2022-09-27.