Trump to nominate former Ranger for Army undersecretary

President Trump plans to nominate former Army Ranger and Lockheed Martin executive Ryan McCarthy as Army undersecretary, the White House announced.

McCarthy, who has most recently served as Lockheed’s global security policy vice president, was also a special assistant to former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

The nominee has worked on numerous programs since joining Lockheed in 2011, including on the F-35 joint strike fighter that Trump has criticized as too expensive.

A defense industry consultant in April described McCarthy as “not a household name” but someone who “has a very good reputation, a hard-charging guy, that knows how the building works.”

{mosads}As a special assistant to Gates, the consultant said, McCarthy was the “right hand of the Defense secretary with front-office access.”

The nomination for the Army’s No. 2 position comes as Trump has already failed twice to nominate a new pick for the Army’s top post.

Vincent Viola withdrew his name in February out of concerns about divesting from his financial holdings, while Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green (R) withdrew his nomination last month amid fierce opposition over past comments about LGBT issues, Islam and evolution.

Acting Army Secretary Robert Speer, who has held the role since January, could potentially be replaced by McCarthy if he is confirmed before a new service secretary is named and confirmed.

No timetable has been set for McCarthy’s nomination to be considered by the Senate, but if his confirmation is not finished before lawmakers break for the summer in late July, McCarthy won’t be able to take the undersecretary position until September.