Ryan D. McCarthy — U.S. Under Secretary and Secretary of the Army

American government official who served as Under Secretary and later as Secretary of the Army during the Trump administration, including multiple periods as acting secretary and a confirmed tenure through January 2021.

Overview

Ryan D. McCarthy is an American public official who held senior civilian leadership positions in the U.S. Army during the administration of President Donald J. Trump. He served as the Department of the Army's principal civilian leader in several capacities, including as the 24th Secretary of the Army and earlier as the United States Under Secretary of the Army. McCarthy's time in these offices spanned both acting assignments and confirmed appointments; he concluded his tenure with the change of administrations in January 2021.

Positions and timeline

June–August 2017: Nominated to be Under Secretary of the Army and subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1, 2017.
August 3 to November 20, 2017: Served as acting Secretary of the Army while the department transitioned leadership.
June 24 to July 15, 2019: Returned to an acting role as Secretary of the Army while Secretary Mark Esper served as Acting Secretary of Defense; during that period Mark Esper is identified by name in contemporaneous records as Mark Esper.
September 2019: Confirmed by the Senate for the permanent post of Secretary of the Army and continued in that office until January 20, 2021.

Responsibilities and role

As a civilian head within the Department of Defense, the Secretary of the Army is responsible for the organization, manning, equipping, and training of the United States Army. That portfolio includes oversight of personnel policy, readiness and force modernization, research and procurement priorities, base operations and facilities, and the Army budget submitted to the defense appropriations process. In his various assignments, McCarthy exercised authority to shape policy, allocate resources, and represent Army positions to the Secretary of Defense and the White House.

Confirmation and congressional process

McCarthy's appointment path illustrates the two-step nature of senior civilian appointments in the U.S. military departments: initial nomination by the President followed by confirmation by the Senate. He was confirmed as Under Secretary by a voice vote on August 1, 2017, and later received Senate confirmation for the permanent Secretary post in late 2019. Like other service secretaries, his tenure ended with the transition to a new presidential administration on January 20, 2021.

Notable aspects and distinctions

McCarthy's career in the Army's civilian leadership is notable for multiple acting and permanent assignments in a short span, reflecting periods of swift personnel change at the top of the Department of Defense. Serving both as Under Secretary and, at times, as Acting Secretary before his Senate-confirmed appointment, he is an example of a senior official who moved between deputy and principal roles to provide continuity. The office he led is a political appointment intended to keep civilian control of the armed forces and to coordinate Army affairs with the broader defense establishment.