WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has named an acting defense secretary because his choice to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
Robert Salesses, deputy director of the Pentagon’s Washington Headquarters Service, will fill in as acting secretary of defense, and three other career Defense Department civilians will be filling in as acting heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
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To serve in the post s, the incoming Trump administration needed senior executives at the Pentagon who had already been confirmed by the Senate. Salesses is a retired Marine who served in the Gulf War and earned a Bronze Star.
He has been leading the Washington Headquarters Service, which includes all of the capital region support services, including facilities management and the office of general counsel and others that support the military branches and Pentagon leadership.
Hegseth could see his nomination advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee as early as Monday, but because of the number of nominees that need to be approved, the full Senate may not take up his nomination until later this week.
In addition, Trump has tapped Mark Averill, who was the administrative assistant to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, to be the acting secretary. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Averill has been a senior career civilian since June 2009.
Terence Emmert, who has been the principal deputy chief technology officer for mission capabilities, will be the acting Navy secretary. He served in the Navy as an aviator and has broad experience in research and testing.
And, Gary Ashworth, who has been working in a temporary position as the assistant secretary for acquisition, will be the acting Air Force secretary. Ashworth spent more than 20 year in the Air Force and headed an acquisition squadron during his final assignment.
Trump, in his inaugural address, indicated some of his earliest executive orders would involve the military, including a potential additional deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border to “finish” construction of the border wall, as well as the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion training initiatives.
There are currently about 2,500 National Guard and Reserve forces serving on active duty orders at the border. That total does not include Guard troops there under state National Guard deployments. U.S. Northern Command, which is in charge of troops under federal orders at the border, said 2,500 is what it is currently authorized to maintain there.
“The service members provide detection and monitoring, data entry, training, transportation, vehicle maintenance, and warehousing and logistical support for all 12 months. The authorization also includes light rotary wing aviation support for aerial reconnaissance in support of CBP personnel on the ground,” NORTHCOM said in a statement.
The command “is working closely with the Joint Staff and the Department of Defense and stands ready to conduct the homeland defense mission."
There are no active duty troops working on the border right now, but in limited cases some in leadership posts perform certain command and control functions.
NBC first reported Salesses' appointment.