Senate panel advances Pentagon CIO nominee

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted today to advance the nominations for three key civilian posts at the Defense Department, including chief information officer.

The panel voted to advance the nomination of John Sherman to DOD chief information officer. Sherman most recently served as the acting DOD chief information officer and CIO for the intelligence community. 

The committee also voted to advance the nominations of Ashish Vazirani for deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Carrie Ricci for Army general counsel.

Most recently, Vazirani was executive director and CEO of the National Military Family Association. He served as a Navy submarine officer from 1986 to 1993. Ricci currently serves as associate general counsel for the Agriculture Department. Prior to joining the civil service, Ricci served in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2010.

All three nominations will now proceed to the full Senate for confirmation.