Melissa Chan is a reporter for NBC News Digital with a focus on veterans’ issues, mental health in the military and gun violence.
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen John Phelan, a businessman and investor with no military experience, to become the next Secretary of the Navy. Phelan, if confirmed, would be the first person in 15 years to lead the Navy without having served in any branch of the armed forces. He told NBC News on Wednesday that he was “greatly honored” to be selected by Trump, and confirmed he has not served, but declined to comment further.
“He will put the business of the U.S. Navy above all else.” As the 79th Navy Secretary, Phelan would oversee more than 900,000 people and an annual budget of more than $210 billion. The last eight people who have held the title since 2009 had either served in the Navy, Marine Corps, Army or Coast Guard, according to their Naval History and Heritage Command biographies. Twenty out of 26 people to be confirmed as Navy secretary over the last 70 years were veterans, the Military Times reported.
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