Biden to nominate first female Army secretary

By Jaspreet Gill / April 12, 2021 at 4:37 PM

President Biden intends to nominate Christine Wormuth for Army secretary, the White House announced today.

If confirmed, Wormuth would be the first woman to serve as the service's top civilian.

Wormuth previously served as the under secretary of defense for policy during the Obama administration and the senior director for defense policy on the National Security Council. She joined the Obama administration in 2009 as the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and civil support.

She is currently the director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center and in January led the Biden-Harris Defense Agency Review Team.

If confirmed, Wormuth will be front and center of the Army's ambitious modernization efforts.

Former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, who was in his position from 2019 to 2021, was a big proponent of the service's modernization initiatives, which include new weapon systems, doctrine and concepts.

The service established eight cross-functional teams to achieve its six modernization priorities: long-range precision fires; the next-generation combat vehicle; future vertical lift; the network; air and missile defense; and soldier lethality.

Wormuth will replace John Whitley, who is currently serving as the acting Army secretary.

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