The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict or ASD(SO/LIC), is the principal civilian advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense on special operations and low-intensity conflict matters. Located within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)), the ASD(SO/LIC) is responsible primarily for the overall supervision (to include oversight of policy and resources) of special operations and low-intensity conflict activities. These activities, according to USSOCOM's 2007 Posture Statement, include counterterrorism; unconventional warfare; direct action; special reconnaissance; foreign internal defense; civil affairs, information operations, psychological operations, and counterproliferation of WMD.[1]
In addition to policy oversight for special operations and stability operations capabilities, the ASD(SO/LIC) has policy oversight for strategic capabilities and force transformation and resources. This includes oversight of capability development to include general-purpose forces, space and information capabilities, nuclear and conventional strike capabilities, and missile defense. As such, ASD(SO/LIC), after the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, will be the principal official charged with oversight over all warfighting capabilities within the senior management of the Department of Defense. The ASD(SO/LIC) is considered part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
This position was mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987 (P.L. 99-661, passed 14 November 1986). The position was officially established on 4 January 1988, by Defense Directive 5138.3. The post's responsibilities for strategic capabilities and forces transformation were added as a result of USD(P) Eric Edelman's 2006 reorganization of the DoD policy office.[2]
The ASD(SO/LIC) is supported in his/her work by three Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense:
In November 2020, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced that Christopher Maier, director of the wide ranging DoD Defeat-ISIS Task Force had resigned, and that the task-force director’s duties and responsibilities will be absorbed by the Office of the ASD (SO/LIC) and regional staffs of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.[3]
The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices.
| Name | Tenure | SecDef(s) Served Under | President(s) Served Under | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict) | ||||
| July 13, 1988 – July 12, 1989 | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush | |||
| Seth Cropsey (Acting) | July 13, 1989 – October 18, 1989 | George H. W. Bush | ||
| October 19, 1989 – June 19, 1993 | George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton | |||
| November 18, 1993 – April 30, 1999 | Bill Clinton | |||
| May 7, 1999 – January 12, 2001 | Bill Clinton | |||
| Position vacant | 2001–2003 | George W. Bush | ||
| July 23, 2003 – April 17, 2007[6] | George W. Bush | |||
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities) | ||||
| July 23, 2007 – March 17, 2011 | George W. Bush Barack Obama | |||
| Michael D. Lumpkin (Acting) | March 18, 2011 – October 20, 2011 | Barack Obama | ||
| Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict) | ||||
| Michael D. Lumpkin (Acting) | October 21, 2011 – December 19, 2011 | Barack Obama | ||
| December 20, 2011 – August 25, 2013 | Barack Obama | |||
| November 19, 2013 – July 26, 2015 | Chuck Hagel | Barack Obama | ||
| Theresa M. Whelan (Acting) | July 26, 2015 – May 30, 2017 | Barack Obama Donald Trump | ||
| Caryn Hollis (Performing the Duties of) | May 30, 2017 – August 1, 2017 | Donald Trump | ||
| Mark E. Mitchell (Acting) | August 2, 2017 – December 20, 2017 | Donald Trump | ||
| December 20, 2017 – June 22, 2019 | Donald Trump | |||
| Mark E. Mitchell (Acting) | June 23, 2019 – November 1, 2019 | Donald Trump | ||
| Thomas A. Alexander (Acting) | November 2, 2019 – January 20, 2020 | Donald Trump | ||
| Thomas A. Alexander (Performing the Duties of) | January 21, 2020 – June 18, 2020 | Donald Trump | ||
| Christopher C. Miller (Performing the Duties of) | June 19, 2020 – August 10, 2020 | Donald Trump | ||
| Ezra Cohen Watnick (Acting) | August 10, 2020 – November 10, 2020 | Donald Trump | ||
| Joseph Tonon (Acting) | November 10, 2020 - January 20, 2021 | Christopher C. Miller (Acting) | Donald Trump | |
| David M. Taylor (Acting) | January 20, 2021 – August 12, 2021 | Joe Biden | ||
| August 12, 2021 – present | Joe Biden | |||