Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon’s top civilian special operations office elevated to equal footing with the military department secretaries and given it a new name drawn from World War II history, the Office of Strategic Services, according to a Department of War release issued Nov. 12.
The release says Hegseth issued a memorandum to elevate the Assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, known as SO/LIC, and that the secretariat has been renamed the Assistant Secretary of War for the Office of Strategic Services. The department said legislative proposals are underway to create a permanent Under Secretary of Strategic Services.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Elevates Special Operations Leadership to Revitalize the Legacy of the Office of Strategic Serviceshttps://t.co/dEdzHkxoug
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 12, 2026
Money, staff and a seat at the table
According to the Department of War, the newly designated office is “immediately empowered” with an annual budget reallocation of at least $45 million, 100 dedicated military and civilian personnel billets, and direct budgetary and acquisition authority over special operations-peculiar matters.
SOF News reported that the memo calls for 75 civilian billets, including at least five Senior Executive Service positions, and 25 joint-qualified military billets. Breaking Defense reported that the civilian staff and Joint Staff personnel are to be transferred to the office within 60 days, and that the $45 million is to come from the department’s operations and maintenance funds.
Breaking Defense also reported that Hegseth directed the office be treated as “Code 2” in the department’s order of precedence, which on paper puts the role alongside the service secretaries in seniority and meeting access. The outlet reported that the memo lists forums the office should join, including the Senior Leaders Council, the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and the Program Budget Review.
The post is currently held by Derrick Anderson, according to Breaking Defense.
A name change, for now
Both Breaking Defense and SOF News reported that the Office of Strategic Services title is a secondary designation rather than a legal change. SOF News reported that under Title 10 of the U.S. Code the organization’s legal name remains the Secretariat for Special Operations until Congress changes the law. Breaking Defense compared it to President Donald Trump authorizing “Department of War” as a secondary title for the Defense Department.
Breaking Defense reported that the biggest change, elevating the office to an undersecretary level, would require legislation, and that the memo directs the department’s legislative affairs team to draft proposals for Congress. SOF News reported that such a change could come through a future National Defense Authorization Act.
The memo also directs that special operations forces be “distinctly delineated” in the department’s planning guidance, including increased investment in modernization and readiness, according to Breaking Defense. The outlet reported that budget planners were told to treat U.S. Special Operations Command’s resourcing and manpower requests in the fiscal 2028 to 2032 budget process as “top tier priorities.”
SOF News reported that the name honors the original Office of Strategic Services, which conducted intelligence and special operations activities against Germany, Japan and their allies during World War II.
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