Openly-Gay Man Named Secretary of the Army

[+ WilliamM]

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c309025d2bd083f5ba98b1ba4fe68aba63b14bcf/c=163-0-428-199&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/09/18/USATODAY/USATODAY/635781886307445445-635717824434684907-ARM-Fanning-070615.JPG

 

President Obama has nominated Eric Fanning, and openly-gay civilian to be the next secretary of the Army. Fanning has a lengthy history at the Defense Department. On a personal note, things have really changed since I was discharged from the Army in 1969 -- certainly for the better!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/us/eric-fanning-civilian-adviser-named-secretary-of-the-army.html?hpw&rref=us&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

[+ azdr0710]

technical question here for those who know:

 

is it traditional for civilians to hold this post?.....what's the protocol behind military vs. civilians holding that title?.....thanks

[geminibear]

Pinto, I think it is generally held by a civilian.

[AdamSmith]

Quoth all-knowing Wikipedia:

 

The Secretary of the Army (SA orSECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the Department of Defense of theUnited States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications, and financial management.

 

The Secretary of the Army is nominated by the President and confirmed by theU.S. Senate, the Secretary of the Army is a non-Cabinet position serving under the Secretary of Defense.[2] This position was created on September 18, 1947, replacing the Secretary of War, when the Department of War became the Department of the Army and was made a department within the new Department of Defense.[3]

 

The Senior Leadership of the Department of the Army consists of two civilians—the Secretary of the Army and the Under Secretary of the Army—and two military officers of four-star rank—the Chief of Staff of the Army and theVice Chief of Staff of the Army.

 

The Secretary of the Army (10 U.S.C. § 3013) is in effect the chief executive officer of the Department of the Army, and the Chief of Staff of the Army works directly for the Secretary of the Army. The Secretary presents and justifies Army policies, plans, programs, and budgets to the Secretary of Defense, other executive branch officials, and to the CongressionalDefense Committees. The Secretary also communicates Army policies, plans, programs, capabilities, and accomplishments to the public. As necessary, the Secretary convenes meetings with the senior leadership of the Army to debate issues, provide direction, and seek advice. The Secretary is a member of the Defense Acquisition Board.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_the_Army

[+ deej]

Cabinet secretaries (State, Defense, Homeland Security, etc.) are civilian appointments who head executive branch departments (i.e. civil servants).

 

Joint Chiefs of Staff are the senior commissioned offers of each service, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is the senior among those.

[+ dutchmuch]

Let's see if Bozo T. Clown craps on this Obama appointee.

[+ sync]

Let's see if Bozo T. Clown craps on this Obama appointee.

 

I'm sure that's a given.