WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump officially nominated former Army Ranger Ryan McCarthy as under secretary of the Army on Tuesday, putting him in line for the service's second ranking post and a possible temporary promotion to the top job.
McCarthy was a staffer for former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and now works as a vice president at the defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
His nomination comes after two failed attempts by the White House to nominate a new Army secretary, a post that has been filled in a temporary, acting role by Robert Speer since January. If confirmed before a new secretary is in place, McCarthy would assume that acting role.
McCarthy served in the 75th Ranger Regiment during the invasion of Afghanistan and previously worked on the a House Committee on International Relations as a professional staffer. He was a special assistant to Gates, working in a variety of roles as a trusted confidant of the defense secretary.
At Lockheed, he has held a variety of roles on the F-35 program and at the corporate office. The joint strike fighter program has become a controversial topic on Capitol Hill in recent years due to cost overruns and delivery delays.
Earlier in his career, McCarthy worked for Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Corporation's North America Unit.
Foreign business entanglements sunk the nomination of Trump’s first pick for Navy secretary — financier Philip Bilden — earlier this year. Last week, the White House nominated former financial industry executive Richard Spencer for that role.
In February, Trump’s first pick for Army secretary, billionaire veteran Vincent Viola, dropped out of the process citing numerous conflicts of interest with his family businesses. Last month, nominee Mark Green withdrew from the process after scrutiny over his past comments on homosexuality and transgender rights.
The Army has only had a full-time secretary for a few months over the last two years. Army Secretary Eric Fanning was nominated to replace John McHugh in late 2015, but did not officially take over the job until May because of a lengthy confirmation fight with Congress. Deputy Army Secretary Patrick Murphy served in an acting role for more than four months.
No timetable has been set for when McCarthy’s nomination may be considered by the Senate.
Lawmakers are scheduled to break for the summer in late July, meaning if McCarthy’s confirmation isn’t finished by then, he likely won’t be able to officially assume the role until mid-September.
Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
