United States Minister for Defense
| Minister of Defense of the United States of America | |
|---|---|
| Ministre de la Défense | |
 | |
 Flag of the United States. | |
| United States government Department of Defense Royal American Armed Forces | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | |
| Seat | Georgetown, D.C. |
| Appointer | Monarch (Represented by the President-General of the United States) on the advice of the Prime Minister |
| Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of the United States |
| Formation | Template:Date and age |
| Salary | $200,000 annually |
The Minister of Defense (MD; French: Ministre de la Défense) is a minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of the United States responsible for the management and direction of all matters relating to the national defence of the United States. The holder of this office directs the government's approach to such matter through the Department of Defense and Royal American Armed Forces. The office of the Minister for Defense, like all Cabinet positions, is not referenced in the Constitution of the United States but rather exists through convention and the right of the President-General to appoint ministers of the crown. It was created in 1947 after a post-World War II reshuffling of the Royal American Armed Forces and the departments that oversaw it.
The Minister of Defense answers to the Prime Minister and to the Continental Congress. They must be a sitting member of the Continental Congress, either in the House of Representatives or Senate. By custom, the Minister of Defense should be ten years removed from active military service to ensure civilian control over the military.