Senate Armed Services Committee members have scheduled a joint confirmation hearing Thursday for Barbara Barrett and Ryan McCarthy to be the next civilian leaders of the Air Force and Army respectively, Military.com reported late last week.
Lawmakers intend to hear testimony from both Barrett and McCarthy on Sept. 12, though the White House has not submitted their formal nominations, according to the report.
Barrett, a former diplomat and businesswoman, was named in May to be nominated as the 25th Secretary of the Air Force.
McCarthy, the current Army under secretary, was named in June to be nominated the service’s next secretary following Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s confirmation as the Pentagon’s permanent top civilian official.
Senate lawmakers have been pressed to quickly fill top Pentagon positions, many of which have been vacant for months or are being filled by officials in an acting capacity.
McCarthy temporarily served as acting Army secretary previously from August to November 2017 before Esper’s permanent confirmation to the top Army civilian role.
A former Army Ranger, McCarthy has also served as special assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and as vice president of commercial financing for the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Corporation, according to the report.
Barrett is a former Aerospace Corporation chair and also has served as the U.S. ambassador to Finland under President George W. Bush.
Photo credit: U.S. Army and NASA
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