Trump taps Viola for Army secretary

President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate Vincent "Vinnie" Viola to serve as secretary of the Army, according to a Dec. 19 release from the transition team.

Viola, a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is the founder and executive chairman of Virtu Financial. He served in the 101st Airborne Division, and became a member of the Army Reserve following his active service, reaching the rank of major. He earned a juris doctor from New York Law School in 1983.

A former trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Viola served as its chairman from 2001 to 2004.

Viola is the majority owner of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League, and previously held a minority stake in the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets.

"It is an honor to be nominated to serve our country as President-elect Trump's Secretary of the Army," Viola said in a statement released by the transition team. "If confirmed, I will work tirelessly to provide our President with the land force he will need to accomplish any mission in support of his National Defense Strategy. A primary focus of my leadership will be ensuring that America's soldiers have the ways and means to fight and win across the full spectrum of conflict. This great honor comes with great responsibility, and I will fight for the American people and their right to live free every day."