# Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, or ASD (A), is one of three assistant secretaries reporting to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. The position is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Defense on matters relating to acquisition program management; the Department of Defense Acquisition System; and the development of strategic, space, intelligence, tactical warfare, command and control, and business systems.

## Roles & responsibilities

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition's priority, is to deliver a Defense Acquisition System that is flexible, tailorable, and enables speed, and is able to deliver capability at the point of need. Currently, the office is focused on transitioning from an acquisition system that is expensive, slow, and burdensome towards one involving reduced timelines, lower costs, and improved quality.

## Organization

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition has the following people reporting to them:
* Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
* Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Enablers
* Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategic, Space, and Intelligence Portfolio Management
* Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management
* Executive Director, Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell
* Principal Director, Defense Pricing and Contracting
* President, Defense Acquisition University
* Director, Defense Contract Management Agency

## Office holders

| No. | Assistant Secretary | Assistant Secretary | Term | Term | Term | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under | Ref(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under | Ref(s) |
| – | | Katrina G. McFarland Acting | 1 October 2011 | 24 May 2012 | 236 days | Leon Panetta | Barack Obama | |
| 1 | | Katrina G. McFarland | 24 May 2012 | 20 January 2017 | 4 years, 241 days | Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ash Carter | Barack Obama | |
| – | | Dyke D. Weatherington Acting | 20 January 2017 | 14 December 2017 | 328 days | Jim Mattis | Donald Trump | |
| – | | James A. MacStravic Acting | 14 December 2017 | 18 February 2018 | 66 days | Jim Mattis | Donald Trump | |
| 2 | | Kevin M. Fahey | 18 February 2018 | 20 January 2021 | 2 years, 337 days | Jim Mattis Mark Esper | Donald Trump | |
| – | | Dyke D. Weatherington Acting | 20 January 2021 | 30 June 2021 | 161 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | Christopher C. O'Donnell Acting | 1 July 2021 | 15 March 2022 | 257 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | Tanya M. Skeen Acting | ~3 March 2022 | 15 August 2023 | ~1 year, 165 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | Gary A. Ashworth Acting | 15 August 2023 | 5 March 2024 | 203 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| 3 | | Cara L. Abercrombie | 5 March 2024 | 29 May 2024 | 85 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | Gary A. Ashworth Acting | 29 May 2024 | 20 January 2025 | 236 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | - |
| – | | Brett G. Ingraham Acting | 20 January 2025 | 24 January 2005 | 4 days | Robert G. Salesses (acting) | Donald Trump | |
| – | | James A. Ruocco Acting | 24 January 2025 | | 1 day | Pete Hegseth | Donald Trump | - |

### Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

| No. | Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary | Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary | Term | Term | Term | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under | Ref(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under | Ref(s) |
| 1 | | Stacy A. Cummings | March 2019 | 20 January 2021 | ~1 year, 311 days | Mark Esper | Donald Trump | |
| – | | Christopher C. O'Donnell Acting | 20 January 2021 | 30 June 2021 | 161 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | John M. Tenaglia Acting | 1 July 2021 | 3 March 2022 | 245 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | Christopher C. O'Donnell Acting | ~3 March 2022 | 15 August 2023 | ~1 year, 165 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | John M. Tenaglia Acting | 15 August 2023 | 5 March 2024 | 203 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| 2 | | Gary A. Ashworth | 5 March 2024 | 29 May 2024 | 85 days | Lloyd Austin | Joe Biden | |
| – | | John M. Tenaglia Acting | 29 May 2024 | Incumbent | 241 days | Lloyd Austin Pete Hegseth | Joe Biden Donald Trump | |