WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama nominated two four-stars to run the Army and Navy on Wednesday.
Gen. Mark Milley, commander of Army Forces Command, was nominated to become the next Army chief of staff, and Adm. John Richardson, current head of Naval Reactors, was nominated to become the next chief of naval operations, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Wednesday.
If confirmed, the two will replace Gen. Ray Odierno and Adm. Jon Greenert, respectively.
The announcement comes a week after the new chairman and vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff were named, establishing the team that will carry the Defense Department past Obama's final term in office.
The nominees for Joint Chiefs Chairman, Marine Gen. Joe Dunford, and vice chair, Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, Milley and Richardson would lead the Pentagon through a time that Carter described as "marked by an ever-changing security environment and consistent budget turbulence."
Odierno, Greenert and the service secretaries appeared at the announcement. Carter lauded the service of the departing service chiefs.
"Both Ray and Jon have been tremendous leaders of their respective services over the last four years," Carter said in his announcement in the Pentagon.
Gen. Mark Milley
Milley previously served under Dunford as the commander of NATO ground forces, and commanded Army III Corps and Fort Hood, Texas — notably in 2014, during the second fatal shooting spree at the base.
Carter described Milley as a "warrior and a statesman" with a wealth of operational and joint experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, and "the intellect and vision to lead change throughout the Army."
Carter said he watched Milley's performance as ground commander in Afghanistan, and had flown with him to Herat the day after an attack on the US consulate there.
"I saw Mark take command of the scene and stand with our people there," Carter said. "I was impressed with his candor and good judgement, and I knew right away he had more to offer the United States Army."
Milley made the decision in March to charge Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a missing soldier recovered in a controversial Taliban prison swap, with desertion and misbehavior in the face of the enemy. Critics, at the time, said it was an embarrassment to the president, who held a press conference with Bergdahl's parents last year to announce Bergdahl's safe return.
Coming from Forces Command, Milley will lead an Army that is shrinking under budget pressure, stretching to meet demands in the Mideast, Europe, the Pacific and other global hot spots. In remarks last October, Milley stressed the importance of better integrating the Guard and reserve.
Retired Gen. Gordon Sullivan, president and CEO of the Association of the US Army, called Milley "an excellent choice" and "an experienced battlefield leader" with "firsthand knowledge of what the Army can do and of the impact of resource constraints on its capabilities.
"We hope for his quick confirmation, knowing that the Army faces many challenges and will benefit from what we know will be his proven skill as a leader with hard-earned credentials as a senior commander in peace and war," Sullivan said. Milley, who received his Army commission in 1980, holds degrees from Princeton and Columbia universities.
Adm. John Richardson
On the Navy side, if Richardson is confirmed by the Senate, this would mark the first time a director of Naval Reactors has been tapped to lead the Navy. Carter called Richardson a "clear choice" and praised his work to prepare for the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine and his handling of integrity and ethics problems.
"He's a tremendous leader, a bold thinker and the go-to officer for many of the Navy's tough issues in recent years," Carter said. "I know he'll do an excellent job steering the United States Navy in the years to come."
Carter said Richardson was worth wrestling away from the Department of Energy and told Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, "If I could clone John Richardson, I would."
Richardson, who Greenert has reportedly supported as his replacement, is seen as bringing firepower to the looming battle over funding for the next class of ballistic missile submarines, which at $4.9 billion apiece will break the Navy's shipbuilding account if they aren't partially funded elsewhere.
"Jon Greenert's priorities are Ohio replacement, two Virginia[-class submarine]s a year and maintaining undersea dominance," a retired three-star, who asked for anonymity, said. "He sees Richardson as the right man for those priorities."
Richardson is a 1982 Naval Academy graduate and holds master's degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the National War College.
Sheila McNeill, former president of the Navy League and a long-time Navy advocate in Kings Bay, Georgia, said Richardson would make an excellent CNO.
"He has a real ability to connect with both members of Congress and sailors on the deckplates," she said.
David Larter and Michelle Tan contributed to this report.
Email: jgould@defensenews.com
Joe Gould was the senior Pentagon reporter for Defense News, covering the intersection of national security policy, politics and the defense industry. He had previously served as Congress reporter.
