When the Trump Administration takes office tomorrow Sean Stackley will lead the Department of the Navy as acting secretary, with Tom Hicks performing the duties of Under Secretary of the Navy, until the administration selects and the Senate confirms permanent officials to serve in those roles, according to a memo obtained by USNI News.
The memo notes that current Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work will continue serving in that role and serve as acting secretary of defense until retired Gen. James Mattis is confirmed by the full Senate.
Stackley, who currently serves as the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, and Hicks, who serves as deputy under secretary of the Navy for management, will temporarily take the top two Navy civilian jobs. Four principal deputy assistant secretaries will serve as acting assistant secretaries during the transition: Steve Iselin will serve as acting assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment; Joe Marshall will serve as acting assistant secretary for financial management and comptroller; Scott Lutterloh will serve as acting assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs; and Anne Brennan will serve as acting general counsel.
Allison Stiller, who is Stackley’s principal civilian deputy, will perform the duties of assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition.
On the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) side, current Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Tactical Warfare Systems James MacStravic will perform the duties of under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. Director of Unmanned Warfare and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Dyke Weatherington will perform the duties of assistant secretary of defense for acquisition. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mary Miller will serve as acting assistant secretary in that office.
Several media reports have noted that many previous incoming administrations have been farther along in selecting top appointees by inauguration day. USNI News understands that Defense Secretary-select James Mattis has been butting heads with the Trump transition team after the announcement of Vincent Viola as the next Army secretary – a decision made by Trump’s team in New York and not approved by Mattis first. Since then, a decision on the next Navy secretary has stalled, meaning that posts down the organizational chart will not be filled soon either. In the mean time, the Pentagon organized a list of “acting” and “performing the duties of” personnel who will run the Pentagon until permanent replacements are named.
