Minister of Defense (Kingdom of Sierra)

  

Her Royal Mejesty's Minister of Defense
Incumbent Preston Bolivar since November 28, 2022
Style	Defense Minister (informally) The Honorable (Informally)
Member of	Cabinet, National Security Council
Seat	Porciúncula, Sierra
Appointer	Prime Minister with the approval of the Monarch and Senate
Formation	January 1, 1859
First holder	Jacob Holt
Deputy	Deputy Minister of Defense

Her Royal Majesty's Minister of Defense, commonly referred to as the Defense Minister,is a senior official within Her Royal Majesty's Government and is the most senior and leading official of the Ministry of Defense. It is an official position within the Cabinet and is currently held by Preston Bolivar, taking office on November 28, 2022.

The post was created on January 1, 1859 following the ministry's creation and was first held by Jacob Holt. The post is succeeded the position of Secretary of Army and Naval Affairs of the California Republic following the republic's dissolution and succession as the Kingdom of Sierra. The Minister of Defense serves as the overall head of the Ministry of Defense as well as a leading figure within the National Security Council and is the main advisor to the Prime Minister on issues of national security. The minister is supported by the Deputy Minster of Defense and during wartime, the office is renamed to the Minster of War and National Defense which occurred during the Sierran Civil War and the Great War.

Role and responsibilities

The Minister of Defense is a senior figure within the Cabinet and serves as the de-facto main advisor to the Prime Minister on issues of national security and defense. As Defense Minister, the officeholder not only serves as the main national security advisor, but is also the primary civilian leader of the Sierran Crown Armed Forces and carries out many of the responsibilities traditionally reserved to the Monarch and carries out most military duties during peacetime, though the Defense Minister will hand over much of his authority to the Prime Minister during times of war. As Minister of Defense, they are the civilian leader of all branches of the armed forces and are only subordinate to the Prime Minister who also acts as the Supreme Field Marshal and will carry out their orders if and when they're given out. The Defense Minister also keeps close connections with the Joint Chiefs of the Defense Staff and serves as a bridge between the Joint Chiefs and the Prime Minister. The Defense Minister also serves as the Vice Chairman of the National Security Council and organizes any civilian body that oversee's the military's activities and operations during major engagements or wars.

Appointment

The Minister of Defense must first be a politician, usually a Member of Parliament from the House of Commons, that its handpicked and chosen by the Prime Minister to serve as Defense Minister within the Prime Minister's cabinet. After the candidate is chosen, said candidate must be approved by the Monarch and the final act of approval is done by the Senate which must attend a hearing by the Senate Defense Committee and most have at least a slight majority of Senators approve of the appointment. If the nominee is approved by the Senate, than they will be sworn in as the official Minister of Defense. The Deputy Minister of Defense is typically appointed by the Defense Minister, though they must be approved by the National Security Council instead of the Senate.