Hegseth seeks to elevate top SOF civilian to service-secretary equivalent - Breaking Defense
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved to fundamentally restructure the civilian leadership of the American special operations community. In a strategic memorandum, Hegseth proposed elevating the department's primary civilian official for elite forces to a status equivalent to that of a service secretary. This shift would significantly reorganize the power dynamics and administrative weight of special forces within the broader military hierarchy.
Elevating the Asd-solic Position
The memorandum, which was officially dated November 2 but released to the public today, outlines a vision for a more empowered civilian oversight office. Hegseth intends to transform the current role of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, or ASD-SOLIC, into a new position titled the Undersecretary of Strategic Services, or OSS. Derrick Anderson currently serves as the ASD-SOLIC, and this proposed change would place his office on a much higher tier of authority within the Pentagon.
Hegseth justified this radical reorganization by pointing to a disconnect between the missions assigned to special forces and the support they receive. He wrote that despite its contribution to the Joint Force and our Nation, resourcing for SOF remains behind current operational and force posture. Because of this gap, the Defense Secretary asserted that it is time for a bold, foundational change to ensure the special operations community has the weight it needs to function effectively.
Legislative Proposals for Congressional Support
The implementation of Hegseth's plan is divided into two separate categories: actions the Department of Defense can take internally and those that require the intervention of the United States Congress. While some administrative adjustments can be made immediately by the Pentagon, the most impactful change—the creation of the Undersecretary of Strategic Services—cannot happen without new laws. Consequently, the Defense Secretary has directed the department's legislative affairs team to begin the process of drafting formal legislative proposals to present to lawmakers.
Historically, the concept of establishing a completely independent military department for special operations has been discussed by various officials and experts over the years. However, these ideas have rarely found enough support in Congress to become reality. Instead of creating a new branch of the military, congressional members have previously focused their efforts on bolstering the existing SOLIC office and granting unique acquisition and procurement authorities to the U.S. Special Operations Command. Hegseth’s current push represents a renewed attempt to secure a higher level of institutional power for these units through the creation of an undersecretary role.
Source: breakingdefense.com · 2026-11-12