National Command Authority consists of which combination?

• A. POTUS and Secretary of State
• B. POTUS and Vice President
• C. POTUS, VP, and SECDEF
• D. POTUS and SECDEF

Answer: (D)

The National Command Authority is the top-level authority for national security decisions, including the authority to order use of weapons. It rests with the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief, and the Secretary of Defense, the senior civilian leader in charge of the armed forces. This pairing ensures civilian oversight and proper transmission of orders through the military chain of command. The Vice President is not a standing member of the National Command Authority, and the Secretary of State handles diplomacy rather than the direct military decision-making authority. So the correct combination is the President and the Secretary of Defense.