Austin s four nominees to the commission, announced by the Pentagon on Friday, include retired Adm. Michelle Howard, the former vice chief of naval operations and the highest-ranking woman and African American in the Navy s history. She is joined by retired Gen. Robert Neller, former Marine Corps commandant; Dr. Kori Schake, a widely respected military scholar and director of Foreign & Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; and retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, the professor emeritus of history at the American Enterprise Institute.
Howard, who was previously named to President Joe Biden s defense transition team, served in the Navy from 1982 to 2017 and was commander of United States Naval Forces Europe before becoming VCNO in 2014. Neller, who served as head of Marine Corps Forces Command before becoming commandant in 2015, wrote a lengthy open letter to America urging racial reckoning in the wake of George Floyd s death last June.
Senate confirms Hicks as DoD’s No. 2 February 8
Deputy Secretary of Defense nominee Kathleen Hicks reacts to a statement during her Senate confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. Feb. 2, 2021. (DoD photo by EJ Hersom) WASHINGTON ― The Senate confirmed Kathleen Hicks as deputy defense secretary on Monday evening, making her the first woman to be confirmed by the Senate to the position. Hicks, who led President Joe Biden’s transition team at the Pentagon, was a deputy undersecretary of defense under the Obama administration. More recently, she led international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved Hicks on Feb. 4 and on Monday confirmed her by a voice vote.
Senate Confirms Kathleen Hicks as Deputy Defense Secretary
The Senate late Monday confirmed Kathleen Hicks, a former Obama administration official, as Deputy Secretary of Defense.
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) confirmed Hicks for the position by a voice vote after approving her nomination on Feb. 4.
Hicks, 50, was previously a deputy undersecretary of defense under the Obama administration. More recently, she led Biden’s transition team at the Pentagon.
Prior to her nomination as deputy defense secretary, she led the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and was also the think tank’s senior vice president.
Kathleen Hicks will become the first woman to serve as the Pentagon’s No. 2 ranking civilian after the Senate confirmed her late Monday as deputy defense secretary.