Ryan D. McCarthy

Last updated

Ryan McCarthy
Ryan McCarthy-Acting Secretary of the Army.jpg
Official portrait, 2017
24th United States Secretary of the Army
In office
September 30, 2019 –January 20, 2021
Acting: July 23, 2019 – September 30, 2019
Awards Combat Infantryman Badge
Military service
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1997–2002
Rank Captain [2]
Unit 75th Ranger Regiment
Battles/wars War in Afghanistan
*McCarthy served in an acting capacity until Esper's formal nomination to be Secretary of Defense was submitted to the Senate. While McCarthy served as Acting Army Secretary, McPherson served as Acting Under Secretary.

Ryan D. McCarthy (born 1973 or 1974) [1] is an American business executive and former U.S. Army Ranger who served as the 24th United States Secretary of the Army, from 2019 to 2021. [3] He previously held the office in an acting capacity in 2017 and 2019.

Contents

Education and military service

McCarthy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the Virginia Military Institute. He has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. [4]

A former United States Army Ranger, he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment's 3rd Battalion during the United States invasion of Afghanistan. [4]

He was later inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2019. [5]

Private sector career

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and McCarthy look over paperwork while visiting Camp Eggers in Kabul on December 8, 2009 Defense.gov photo essay 091208-F-6655M-196.jpg
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and McCarthy look over paperwork while visiting Camp Eggers in Kabul on December 8, 2009

Early in his career, McCarthy worked at HSBC. He became a professional staff member on the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. McCarthy later served as a special assistant to former United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, where he was "the right hand of the Defense secretary with front-office access." [4]

McCarthy joined Lockheed Martin in 2011, where he worked on programs including the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. He most recently served as the vice president of the sustainment program for the F-35 program. [6]

In February 2022, McCarthy joined the Maxwell School of Syracuse University as a resident scholar, serving as a strategic advisor and subject matter expert. [7]

Department of the Army

In June 2017, President Donald Trump nominated him to become the Under Secretary of the Army. [8] He was confirmed as Under Secretary of the Army by the United States Senate on August 1, 2017, by voice vote. [9] [10]

While Under Secretary, he served as acting Secretary of the Army twice. The first was from August 3 to November 20, 2017, during which he approved the Army directive which initiated an Army Command, Army Futures Command (AFC). [11] The second was from June 24 to July 15, 2019, while Secretary of the Army Mark Esper was acting as Secretary of Defense. [9] [10]

U.S. Secretary of the Army

President Trump nominated McCarthy to become the Secretary of the Army on June 21, 2019. [12] He was confirmed on September 26, 2019, and was sworn in on September 30, 2019. [13]

As United States Secretary of the Army, McCarthy met with the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, at The Pentagon on 11 February 2020. [14]

The United Kingdom's Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP (2019-2020), meeting McCarthy at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia in February 2020 when he was United States Secretary of the Army SA hosts UK Armed Forces Minister (49522060551).jpg
The United Kingdom's Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP (2019-2020), meeting McCarthy at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia in February 2020 when he was United States Secretary of the Army

George Floyd protests

In 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, McCarthy activated the D.C. National Guard, which included the use of aviation assets to support local and Federal law enforcement efforts. The D.C. National Guard is the only National Guard unit, of the 54 states and territories that have them, which reports only to the President of the United States. The Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard is subordinate solely to the President. This authority to activate the D.C. National Guard has been delegated by the President to the Secretary of Defense and further delegated to the Secretary of the Army. [15] During the protests, McCarthy gave the order to deploy helicopters in response to the protests. [16] On June 2, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper ordered an inquiry into the incident, which as of 4 June 2020 is under investigation. [17] On April 14, the Army released the findings of the investigation into low flying helicopters. The Army investigation into the National Guard's use of low-flying helicopters during a June 2020 demonstration in Washington, D.C., found a "systematic lack of understanding" of how to use military aviation to respond to civil disturbances and resulted in disciplinary action taken against several individuals involved in the operation. [18]

Storming of the U.S. Capitol

On January 6, 2021, a mob of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, overrunning and assaulting a small group of Capitol Police officers protecting the Capitol. Questions were raised about McCarthy's handling of the riots, as the D.C. National Guard (overseen by McCarthy) were delayed in responding to the riots once they started. [19] [20] On March 4 Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said defense officials approved a police request for assistance in about 60 minutes and the D.C. National Guard "reacted faster than the most elite forces from a cold start". [21]

In a testimony to Congress, McCarthy said there had been no plans to have the D.C. National Guard assist Capitol police in case events that day escalated. [22] D.C. National Guard's commanding general, Maj. Gen. William Walker, said that McCarthy had instituted unusual restrictions, requiring employment of the quick-reaction force to be approved by the chain of command, which prevented a rapid deployment of the D.C. National Guard. [23]

On November 16, 2021, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released their findings [24] on the actions that took place to prepare for and respond to protests at the U.S. Capitol. The report concluded that the actions the DoD took before January 6, 2021, to prepare for the planned protests in Washington, D.C., on January 5 and 6, 2021, were appropriate, supported by requirements, consistent with the DoD's roles and responsibilities for DSCA, and compliant with laws, regulations, and other applicable guidance.

Housing

In August 2018, Reuters published a damaging report on the state of privatized U.S. military housing. According to the report - Army data from other clinics showed at least 77 more high blood-lead tests for children at Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Riley in Kansas, and Fort Hood and Fort Bliss in Texas. [25]

In February 2019, McCarthy, then Under Secretary for the U.S. Army said he is embarrassed the service had to learn about soldiers and family members living in mold-infested, dilapidated on-post housing from news reports. And went on to state how grateful he was for news agencies like Reuters and families stepping forward to talk about the challenges that they face and the inability for them to get resolution for the challenges that they have had with housing. [26]

In December 2019, now serving as secretary of the Army, McCarthy testified before Congress that the Army had taken several steps to include assigning housing operations to a four-star commander who can withhold incentive fees from privatized housing providers, if necessary, based on the incentive fee metrics. [27]

COVID Support Effort

In March 2020, McCarthy directed U.S. Army units to prepare to provide direct support to COVID-19 medical efforts. Moving on the orders of Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, the Army issued deployment orders to the 531st Hospital from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the 627th Hospital from Fort Carson, Colorado, and the 9th Hospital from Fort Hood, Texas, to deploy to New York and Washington State.

By April 2020 the Army had 14 Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces throughout New York City hospitals and the Javits Center and several sites in New Jersey.

During the course of 2020, COVID-19 affected nearly every aspect of Army operations to include, Industry procurement operations, recruiting, basic training and permanent change of station for Soldiers. Consequently, McCarthy implemented several programs to mitigate impacts to Army operations. [28]

The Murder of Vanessa Guillen

Vanessa Guillén was a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer on April 22, 2020, inside a Fort Hood, Texas, armory by another enlisted soldier, Aaron David Robinson, a 20-year-old from Calumet City, Illinois. Guillén had been missing since April 22 when some of her dismembered remains were found buried along the Leon River on June 30.

Upon hearing about the discovery of Guillén's remains, Robinson fled Fort Hood and fatally shot himself when law enforcement attempted to apprehend him in Killeen, Texas, shortly after midnight.[1][2][3] Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified by authorities as Robinson's girlfriend, was taken into custody and is alleged to have assisted Robinson in dismembering and burying Guillén's body. On July 2, 2020, she was charged with one federal count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. On July 13, 2021, she was indicted on 11 counts by a federal grand jury.

On July 10, 2020, the McCarthy announced that he would order a "full independent review" of Guillén's case. The full independent review identified several climate issues at Fort Hood as it relates to sexual assault.

On December 8, 2020, McCarthy announced the results of the investigation. McCarthy said that Guillén's murder "shocked our conscience and brought attention to deeper problems" at Fort Hood and across the Army more widely. He said it "forced us to take a critical look at our systems, our policies, and ourselves." The findings resulted in administrative action against a total of 14 leaders to include commanders at Fort Hood, citing multiple "leadership failures". The investigation found that there was a "permissive environment for sexual assault and sexual harassment at Fort Hood." The number of leaders disciplined was the largest number in Army history. [29]

Army Modernization and Army Futures Command

McCarthy was a staunch advocate of Army modernization efforts by way of the creation of Army Futures Command.

U.S. Army Futures Command was activated in the summer of 2018. The command was designed as a public-private initiative, which runs modernization projects for the Army. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

The command is focused on six priorities: 1) Long-range precision fires, 2) Next Generation Combat Vehicle, 3) Future Vertical Lift platforms, 4) a mobile & expeditionary Army network, 5) air and missile defense capabilities,[6] and 6) soldier lethality.

Related Research Articles

Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Formerly named Fort Hood for Confederate General John Bell Hood, the post is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 mi (97 km) from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. R. McMaster</span> United States Army general (born 1962)

Herbert Raymond McMaster is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Army National Guard</span> Component of the US Army and military of the state of Colorado

The Colorado Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, United States National Guard, and Colorado National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units is maintained through the National Guard Bureau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia National Guard</span> Component of the US National Guard of the District of Columbia

The District of Columbia National Guard is the branch of the National Guard of the United States based in the District of Columbia. It comprises both the D.C. Army National Guard and the D.C. Air National Guard components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Wilkie</span> 10th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (born 1962)

Robert Leon Wilkie Jr. is an American lawyer and government official who served as the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2018 to 2021, during the Trump administration. He was previously Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness during the Trump administration, from November 2017 to July 2018. A Naval intelligence officer in the Reserve, he was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in the administration of President George W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Milley</span> U.S. Army general (born 1958)

Mark Alexander Milley is a retired United States Army general who served as the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2023. He had previously served as the 39th chief of staff of the Army from August 14, 2015 to August 9, 2019 and held multiple command and staff positions in eight divisions and special forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Esper</span> American politician and manufacturing executive (born 1964)

Mark Thomas Esper is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously served as the 23rd U.S. secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William J. Walker</span> United States army general

William J. Walker is a retired United States Army major general and former Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the 38th House Sergeant at Arms and the first African-American to hold the office. He last served as the 23rd Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard. This responsibility includes command of the District of Columbia Army and Air National Guard units. Walker previously served in the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Special Agent and was promoted to the Senior Executive Service in January 2003, with his final assignment being Deputy Assistant Administrator in Charge of the Office of Strategic Warning Intelligence. Walker is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a National Academy of Public Administration Fellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter E. Piatt</span> American Army general

Walter E. Piatt is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who was appointed chief executive officer of Wounded Warrior Project on March 18, 2024. He last served as the 57th Director of the Army Staff from 2019 to 2024. He enlisted in the army in 1979 and served four years as an infantryman. After graduating from Lock Haven University, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1987. Prior to assuming his current position, Piatt was the Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. His other assignments as a general officer include serving as the 52nd Chief of Infantry; Deputy Commanding General-Support, 10th Mountain Division; Commander, Joint Multinational Training Command; Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Europe; and director of Operations/director, Rapid Equipment Fielding, Army Rapid Capabilities Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church</span> 2020 controversial presidential photo op

On June 1, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., law enforcement officers used tear gas and other riot control tactics to forcefully clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square, creating a path for President Donald Trump and senior administration officials to walk from the White House to St. John's Episcopal Church. Trump held a Bible and posed for a photo op in front of Ashburton House, which had been defaced by graffiti and damaged by a fire set during protests the night before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Vanessa Guillén</span> 2020 murder of a U.S. army soldier

The murder of Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old United States Army soldier, took place inside an armory at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 22, 2020, when she was bludgeoned to death by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson. Guillén had been missing for more than two months before some of her dismembered, burned remains were found buried along the Leon River on June 30. Robinson fled Fort Hood after learning of the discovery. When law enforcement tried to apprehend him in nearby Killeen, Texas, he fatally shot himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher C. Miller</span> American government official, retired US Army officer (born 1965)

Christopher Charles Miller is an American retired United States Army Special Forces colonel who served as acting United States secretary of defense from November 9, 2020, to January 20, 2021. He previously served as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center from August 10 to November 9, 2020. Before his civilian service in the Department of Defense, Miller was a Green Beret, commanding 5th Special Forces Group in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later spent time as a defense contractor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles A. Flynn</span> United States Army general

Charles A. Flynn is a United States Army general who serves as commanding general of United States Army Pacific since 4 June 2021. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Training (G3/5/7) of the Army Staff from June 2019 to May 2021. He is the younger brother of Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn, Donald Trump's first National Security Advisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 6 United States Capitol attack</span> 2021 attempt to prevent presidential electoral vote count

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of then–U.S. President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup d'état two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. They sought to keep him in power by occupying the Capitol and preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the certification of the election results. According to the bipartisan House select committee that investigated the incident, the attack was the culmination of a seven-part plan by Trump to overturn the election. Within 36 hours, six people died: one was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, three died of natural causes, and a police officer died after being assaulted by rioters. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months. Damage caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million. Trump has characterised January 6 as "a day of love".

The following article is a broad timeline of the course of events surrounding the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, by rioters supporting United States President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Pro-Trump rioters stormed the United States Capitol after assembling on the Ellipse of the Capitol complex for a rally headlined as the "Save America March".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naming Commission</span> American military commission

The Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America, more commonly referred to as the Naming Commission, was a United States government commission created by the United States Congress in 2021 to create a list of military assets with names associated with the Confederate States of America and recommendations for their removal.

Law enforcement mounted a response to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, initially failing to maintain security perimeters and protect parts of the building from being breached and occupied, but succeeding at protecting members of Congress, and subsequently, as reinforcements arrived, to secure the breached Capitol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffery Broadwater</span> US Army general

Jeffery D. Broadwater is a retired United States Army major general who last served as deputy commanding general of V Corps from August 2021 to July 2023. He previously served as commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division from October 2019 to July 2021. Prior to that, he served as commanding general of the Fort Irwin National Training Center from November 2016 to September 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 Britzky, Haley (September 9, 2019). "This former Ranger was just nominated to be the next Secretary of the Army". Task & Purpose . Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ Loyola Academy (August 3, 2017). "President Trump Nominates Ryan McCarthy '92 for Army Under Secretary". Loyola Academy. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ryan D. McCarthy". defense.gov. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Mitchell, Ellen (June 7, 2017). "Trump to nominate former Ranger for Army undersecretary". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  5. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "The Secretary of the Army Gets Inducted Into The Ranger Hall of Fame". YouTube . July 17, 2019.
  6. ↑ Nicholas, Scott (June 7, 2017). "Former Lockheed Exec Ryan McCarthy to Be Nominated as Army Undersecretary". ExecutiveGov. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  7. ↑ Youngman, Jessica (February 10, 2022). "Maxwell's Washington Programs Welcome Scholars and Senior-Level Practitioners". Syracuse University News. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  8. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Key Additions to his Administration". whitehouse.gov . June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017– via National Archives.
  9. 1 2 Dickstein, Corey (June 21, 2019). "Former Ranger McCarthy will take on duties of Army secretary on Monday". Stars and Stripes . Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2019. By law, because there is currently a sitting secretary of the Army, [McCarthy] can only use the title, 'performing duties as' and not acting secretary of the Army
  10. 1 2 Weisgerber, Marcus (July 15, 2019). "Inside the Pentagon's Game of Musical Chairs". Defense One. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  11. ↑ (6 Oct 2017) Army Directive 2017-24 (Cross-Functional Team Pilot In Support of Materiel Development)
  12. ↑ Seck, Hope Hodge (June 21, 2019). "Trump to Nominate Mark Esper as SecDef, Ryan McCarthy as Army Secretary". Military.com . Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Senate confirms Ryan McCarthy as Army secretary". Stars and Stripes . Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  14. ↑ McCarthy, Hon Ryan D. (February 11, 2020), Office Call with UK AF Minister , retrieved September 9, 2020
  15. ↑ "District of Columbia National Guard > About Us". dc.ng.mil. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  16. ↑ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Schmitt, Eric; Cooper, Helene (June 10, 2020). "Aggressive Tactics by National Guard, Ordered to Appease Trump, Wounded the Military, Too". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  17. ↑ Conte, Michael (June 4, 2020). "Army investigating why National Guard helicopters hovered low over DC, Esper says". Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ Cox, Matthew (April 14, 2021). "Soldiers Involved in Flying Helicopter Low Over DC Protesters Have Been Disciplined, Army Says". Military.com. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  19. ↑ Sonne, Paul; Hermann, Peter; Ryan, Missy (January 7, 2021). "Pentagon placed limits on D.C. Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests due to narrow mission". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 18, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ "Army secretary departs amid questions about the National Guard's Capitol riot response". The Washington Post. 2021.
  21. ↑ Ryan, Missy; Lamothe, Dan. "Military reaction was 'sprint speed,' top officer says as Pentagon takes heat for Capitol riot response". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  22. ↑ Devan Cole, Barbara Starr and Oren Liebermann (January 26, 2021). "Former Army secretary says DC National Guard had no plan ahead of Capitol riot beyond local traffic control". CNN. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  23. ↑ Katkov, Mark; Neuman, Scott (March 3, 2021). "House Cancels Thursday Session After Police Warn Of Possible Attack On Congress". NPR. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Review of the Department of Defense's Role, Responsibilities, and Actions to Prepare for and Respond to the Protest and its Aftermath at the U.S. Capitol Campus on January 6, 2021 (DODIG-2022-039)".
  25. ↑ https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-military-housing/]
  26. ↑ "SPECIAL REPORT: Ambushed at Home: Lead poisoning on US bases". Reuters. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  27. ↑
  28. ↑ "Army Secretary McCarthy, high-ranking officials tour Detroit's TCF COVID-19 hospital".
  29. ↑ "Fort Hood Independent Review | the United States Army".
Political offices
Preceded by United States Under Secretary of the Army
2017–2019		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Secretary of the Army
Acting
2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Secretary of the Army
Acting
2019
United States Secretary of the Army
2019–2021		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.