President-elect Donald Trump has selected John Phelan, a businessman and investor with no military experience, to be the next Secretary of the Navy.
If confirmed, Phelan would be the first person in 15 years to lead the Navy without having served in any branch of the military.
He told NBC News on Wednesday that he was “very honored” to have been chosen by President Trump, acknowledging he was not in office but declining to comment further.
In a statement Tuesday night, President Trump praised Phelan’s “record of success,” including founding and leading Lager Management LLC, a private investment firm based in Palm Beach, Fla., and said he has “supported Phelan in every endeavor.” It’s excellent.”
He also said the Harvard Business School graduate’s “intelligence and leadership are unparalleled.”
“John will be a great addition to the Navy and a solid leader who will advance my America First vision,” President Trump said. “He will prioritize the business of the U.S. Navy above all else.”
As the 79th Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Phelan will oversee more than 900,000 people and an annual budget of more than $210 billion.
The last eight people to hold the title since 2009 served in either the Navy, Marine Corps, Army or Coast Guard, according to a biography from Naval History and Heritage Command.
Of the 26 people confirmed as secretaries of the Navy over the past 70 years, 20 have been veterans, Military Times reported.
Mr. Ferrand’s successor, Carlos Del Toro, served in the Navy for more than 20 years and served several missions at sea, according to his Navy biography.
On November 12, President Trump announced that he would nominate Pete Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host, to be Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is a captain in the Army National Guard and served overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
