The Trump administration has named its third candidate to become the Army’s civilian leader.
Mark Esper, head of Raytheon‘s [RTN] government relations and a West Point graduate, was tapped on July 20 as the next secretary of the Army. Esper is the third person offered the job since President Donald Trump’s election in November 2016.
Esper began his career as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division and served during the first Gulf War. He later served on active duty in Europe and on the Army Staff in Washington, D.C., before transitioning to the National Guard. He retired from the Army after 21 years of service.
Esper was an airborne ranger and recipient of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medals, among other awards and qualifications. He also has legislative experience working national security issues for Senators Chuck Hagel, Fred Thompson, and directed national security affairs for then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).
He was also a professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Armed Services committees, and later a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. Esper is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, and George Washington University.
Esper also was an executive vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and executive vice president of the Aerospace Industries Association of America (AIA).
AIA on Friday urged the Senate to confirm Esper quickly.
“Mr. Esper’s impressive background, including his service in the Army, as well as his work as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Negotiations Policy and as a senior aide on Capitol Hill, clearly demonstrates his qualifications for this position,” AIA said in a prepared statement. “He also possesses a unique understanding of the issues facing the aerospace and defense sector, gained from his extensive experience in leadership positions across our industry.”
Robert M. Speer been acting secretary of the Army since Eric Fanning left the post in January. Both of Trump’s picks to replace Fanning removed themselves from consideration before their names were sent to the Senate for confirmation.
Vincent Viola, former Army infantry officer, founder of Virtu Financial and owner of the Florida Panthers professional hockey team, was announced as the administration’s initial nominee in December 2016. Viola withdrew because of conflicts of interest with his business dealings.
Mark Green, President Trump’s second nomination for Army Secretary withdrew his name from consideration because of negative comments he made about lesbians and gays serving in the military and about Muslims in general.
Trump has had a difficult time filling top civilian Pentagon positions. Investment manager Philip Bilden, the Trump administration’s nominee to be Navy secretary, withdrew from consideration in February, citing privacy concerns and challenges separating himself from business interests. Former Navy acquisition chief Sean Stackley is serving as acting Navy Secretary.
Richard V. Spencer was nominated to become Navy secretary in June and sailed through his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Spencer is a financial industry executive who served in the Marine Corps from the late 1970s until 1981 and served on the Defense Business Board from 2009 to 2015 where he finished as vice chairman. He was appointed to the Chief of Naval Operations’ Executive Panel on Feb. 24, 2016 and transitioned to his current role as an Executive Advisor on Dec. 9, 2016
The only service secretary successfully installed by the Trump Administration is Heather Wilson, a former congresswoman and Air Force officer, who was sworn in as the 24th Air Force secretary in May.