How to Turn General Austin Into Secretary Austin
Some advice from the author of “The Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense.” December 14, 2020
Dear General Austin:
The law requires that the Secretary of Defense – the position that President-elect Biden wants you to fill – “shall be appointed from civilian life.” That’s a challenge for you, since after nearly 41 years in the Army, you have been a civilian for only 4-½ years. You have a lot to learn, and unlearn.
Congress wrote that law in 1947 because it wanted to assert civilian control over the large standing forces it created to deter and defend against the Soviet Union. Lawmakers even insisted that the defense secretary be out of uniform, in case they had served at least ten years. That law would have to be waived for you to become secretary, and that has happened only twice, each time in very exceptional circumstances.