Pentagon policy chief nominee heads to Capitol Hill

Several nominees for senior Defense Department roles, including the Trump administration's pick for Pentagon policy chief, are set to face the Senate next week.

John Rood, who most recently led Lockheed Martin International, will appear Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee to be considered as the next under secretary of defense for policy.

Rood, who has also worked as an executive at Raytheon, spent more than 20 years in federal government jobs, including acting under secretary of state for arms control and international security.

He also served on the National Security Council and as deputy assistant secretary of defense for forces policy. A former staffer for retired Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ), Rood has also worked as a CIA analyst.

Appearing alongside Rood will be Randall Schriver, nominated to be assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs. Schriver is a founding partner of consulting firm Armitage International and chief executive of nonprofit research organization the Project 2049 Institute. He previously served as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and spent two years as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of state.

On Tuesday, the committee will hear from Anthony Kurta, nominated to be principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness; James McPherson, picked to be Army general counsel, and Gregory Maggs, nominated to be judge of the United States Court Of Appeals for the Armed Forces.