Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on May 13 announced the nominations of Gen. Mark Milley as the next Army Chief of Staff and Adm. John Richardson to become Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).
Milley, who currently serves as chief of U.S. Army Forces Command, will succeed Gen. Raymond Odierno, who will retire after serving as the Army’s most senior officer since September 2011.
A 1980 graduate of Princeton University, Milley also holds degrees from Columbia University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has spent most of his 34-year career commanding combat units including service in the 10th Mountain Division and Army Special Forces.
“He is a warrior and a statesman,” Carter said during a May 13 press conference at the Pentagon. “He has the intellect and vision to lead change.”
In a statement following Milley’s nomination, Odierno applauded President Obama’s decision.
“I’ve known Gen. Milley for many years,” Odierno posted on Twitter. “I’m confident he’s the right leader to lead our Army into the future as the 39th Chief of Staff.”
Retired Gen. Gordon Sullivan, former Army chief of staff and current head of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), said Milley is “an excellent choice” to succeed Odierno.
“His 34 years of service, including combat duties in Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan, make him an experienced battlefield leader,” Sullivan said in a statement immediately after the announcement. “We hope for his quick confirmation, knowing that the Army faces many challenges and will benefit from what we know will be his proven skill as a leader with hard earned credentials as a senior commander in peace and war.”
Carter named Richardson, director of the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program since 2012, as the Navy’s next CNO.
If confirmed he will succeed Adm. Jonathan Greenert, who plans to retire in the fall after a 40-year Navy career, most of which was spent as a submariner. Richardson graduated from the Naval Academy in 1982 and also began a career on submarines, which will give the Navy back-to-back CNOs who spent most of their careers as submariners.
He is well positioned to be an advocate for the Navy’s top modernization priority, the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine replacement program. The Navy has set aside $10 billion over the next five years for the program, which will begin deliveries of each $5 billion submarine in 2021 with one to follow each year for 12 years.
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), chairman of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee, issued a statement expressing confidence that Richardson would “focus holistically” on the Navy.
Richardson’s nomination “comes at a time of tremendous pressure on the U.S. Navy, from shrinking budgets to new national security challenges around the world,” Forbes said, adding that Richardson has shown exceptional leadership in the submarine service and that he is confident Richardson will use the broader scope of this new role to focus holistically on our Navy’s strength, from reinvigorating the surface fleet to charting the future of naval aviation.
“John Richardson is one of our finest officers and I have great confidence that he is the right leader for our Navy,” Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in a prepared statement.
Greenert said ” Richardson is an ideal strategic leader to keep our Navy moving forward.”
“He cares about our sailors, has the background and experience in dealing with tough challenges combined with expert judgment that will guide our Navy well. He has played a fundamental role in addressing many of our current and future challenges. I am confident he will ensure our Navy’s seapower, now and in the future.”