Christine Elizabeth Wormuth[1] (born April 19, 1969) is an American defense official and career civil servant who serves as the United States secretary of the Army since 2021.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first female United States secretary of the Army.[3]
Christine Wormuth | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| 25th United States Secretary of the Army | |
| Assumed office May 28, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Christopher Lowman (acting) Gabe Camarillo |
| Preceded by | John E. Whitley (acting) |
| 11th Under Secretary of Defense for Policy | |
| In office June 23, 2014 – June 10, 2016 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Michael D. Lumpkin (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Brian McKeon (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 19, 1969 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Williams College (BA) University of Maryland, College Park (MPP) |
| Signature |  |
Early life and education
editChristine Elizabeth Wormuth[4] was born on April 19, 1969, in the community of La Jolla, north of San Diego. After growing up in College Station, Texas, she graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts with a bachelor's degree in political science before earning her master's in public policy from the University of Maryland.[5]
Career
editWormuth entered government service as a presidential management intern in 1995. She spent the next 6+1⁄2 years as a civil servant in the Defense Department. Later, she worked as a government consultant and then a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Before she was nominated for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Wormuth served in the National Security Council as the special assistant to the president and the senior director for defense policy and strategy.[6] From 2009 to 2010, Wormuth was the principal deputy assistant secretary for homeland defense.
Obama administration
editWormuth was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the under secretary of defense for policy. On June 19, 2014, she was confirmed by the United States Senate by voice vote.[7] As the under secretary, Wormuth contributed to counter-terrorism operations and engaged in defense relations with Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.[7]
Upon the conclusion of her tenure as the under secretary, Wormuth was appointed as the director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center.[8]
Biden administration
edit
In November 2020, Wormuth was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of Defense.[9]
Secretary of the Army
editOn April 12, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Wormuth to serve as the 25th secretary of the Army.[10] She is the first woman to serve in the position for the Army, however, not the first female secretary in the United States Armed Forces, as there have been five female secretaries of the Air Force. On April 15, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[4] On May 24, her nomination was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee by voice vote. Two days later, her nomination was confirmed by the Senate by unanimous consent, but Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer requested it be rescinded and her confirmation was subsequently reversed hours later. This was because Republican senator Kevin Cramer had placed a hold on her nomination to resolve an issue involving an underpaid Army major and the Senate had mistakenly approved her nomination before he had removed his hold.[11] The following day, Cramer removed his hold after being told the pay issue would be resolved and confirmed that he supported Wormuth, who he said would "do a fine job".[11] Wormuth was then officially confirmed on May 27, again by unanimous consent. She was sworn in the following day.[2]
Personal life
editSecretary Wormuth is married to Andrew "Drew" Kuepper, a former naval flight officer flying the P-3 Orion who retired as a commander in the Navy Reserve. He currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary for CWMD strategy, plans and policy in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.[12][13] They have two daughters.[14]
References
edit- ^ "PN361 — Christine Elizabeth Wormuth — Department of Defense, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". U.S. Congress. May 27, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ a b "Secretary of the Army | The United States Army". Secretary of the Army | The United States Army. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Cox, Chelsey. "Christine Wormuth confirmed as first woman secretary of the Army". USA TODAY.
- ^ a b "Nominations Sent to the Senate". The White House. April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Christine E. Wormuth > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Biography". www.defense.gov. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "Christine Wormuth". The Cipher Brief. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ a b "Senate Confirms Obama Nominee Christine Wormuth as DoD Policy Chief". Executive Gov. June 24, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "Christine Wormuth Appointed Director of RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center". www.rand.org. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "Agency Review Teams". President-Elect Joe Biden. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Tiron, Roxana (April 12, 2021). "Biden Picks Christine Wormuth as First Female Army Secretary". Bloomberg News. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ a b O’Brien, Connor (May 27, 2021). "Senate confirms Wormuth as first female Army Secretary — for real this time". POLITICO.
- ^ "Hearing to consider the nomination of honorable Christine E. Wormuth to be secretary of the army" (PDF). www.armed-services.senate.gov. Committee on Armed Services. May 13, 2021.
- ^ "Andrew Kuepper". www.linkedin.com.
- ^ "Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth". US Army. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022.
External links
edit