So, we have a SECNAV
...assuming confirmation goes OK...
The political right, particularly in maritime matters, has a strong bench. I had my list of a half dozen or so people who I thought would have a small enough learning curve and right personality to hit the ground running as the Next Secretary of the Navy.
John Phelan was not on that list, and I hadn’t heard of him until Tuesday night. That is neither here nor there.
President Trump will build his team as he thinks will best serve his agenda. The statement above outlines Phelan’s background. He’s a smart guy who wouldn’t be where he was if he didn’t have the ability to look at people and data and understand strengths and weaknesses.
My preferences for SECNAV—the CV of one, not named people—has been shared for a couple of decades here, on Midrats, and in person to anyone who is foolish enough to ask me. It has remained consistent and applies to both political parties: I would prefer someone with a political background, preferably from the House of Representatives. Someone who can walk into a room and quickly decide who has an itchy rib that needs to be scratched to do something that will advance sea power. Who is worth their time, who is not. Who can be persuaded, who needs to be avoided. Politics is a skill like any other. It can be learned, but is best a proven skillset. Second to that is someone who knows where the bodies are buried, how the windmill works, and can avoid the R.O.U.S. around The Pentagon.
Phelan has a different skillset coming into the job, and maybe that is what is needed to shake things up. He will be taking over from SECNAV Del Toro, who has held the job throughout the Biden Administration. That should provide him a solid turnover.
The next palace game is to look at is who is picked as his Under and the ASNs. Let’s hope the Senate will move fast on approving appointments.
We have a lot of things on our side, but time isn’t one of them. Best of luck in confirmation, and may it be soon and quick.
In my years working in the USG -- always in the bleachers -- it was not unheard of to appoint a figurehead as the main person and stock the positions below that person with professionals. Or as near as politically possible anyway. So Sal's comment "The next palace game is to look at is who is picked as his Under and the ASNs" is particularly relevant to me. I remember a time when a particularly competent Deputy Secretary -- the people who make the trains run on time -- was rewarded with a Secretaryship after three (?) tours as Deputy at different cabinet-level agencies.
Hope he's good. I recall that as a young LCDR CNO Briefer, I had occasions to stop by the SECNAV's office in the E Ring. There was a builder's model of a WW II DE outside his door. He was mostly known as a Railroad tycoon. Only much later did I find out that the model was of the DE he served in during WW II, and was in fact aboard when that DE rescued survivors of the Indianapolis. Railroad tycoon he might have been, but real Navy for all that.