| Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs | |
|---|---|
| ATSD (PA) | |
 | |
| Department of Defense | |
| Reports to | Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense |
| Seat | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Appointer | The Secretary of Defense |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 138 |
| Formation | 1957 |
| First holder | Murray Snyder |
| Salary | Executive Schedule, level IV[1] |
| Website | www.defense.gov |
The Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, or ATSD (PA), is the principal staff advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for public information, internal information, community relations, information training, and audiovisual matters in support of Department of Defense activities, leading a worldwide public affairs community of some 3,800 military and civilian personnel. The Assistant to the Secretary follows the Secretary's Principles of Information in providing Defense Department information to the public, the United States Congress and the media.
Prior to October 2012, the position was known as the "Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs", and was retitled in response to the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011.[2]
The ATSD(PA) is the principal but not the sole spokesperson for the department. In July 2011, the ASD(PA) announced the appointment of two additional spokespersons for the department. George E. Little, one of two Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense for Public Affairs, served concurrently as the Pentagon Press Secretary. Little stepped down Nov. 15, 2013. Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby served alongside Little as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Media Operations and Spokesman. Kirby stepped down as spokesman in February 2015. Both Little and Kirby served as spokespeople for the Secretary of Defense and for the department. In August 2022, after ATSD(PA) Kirby vacated the role, a separate Department of Defense Press Secretary position was split off and filled by Patrick S. Ryder, with the ATSD(PA) later announced as Chris Meagher in September.
- ^ 5 U.S.C. § 5315
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)