Trump names special ops vet Hung Cao as Navy Under Secretary

 

Trump names special ops vet Hung Cao as Navy Under Secretary


President Donald Trump on Thursday appointed former Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao to serve as Under Secretary of the Navy, making the special operations veteran the second-ranking civilian leader for the service.

The move came just hours after the Senate Armed Services Committee held a confirmation hearing for businessman John Phelan, Trump’s pick to serve as Navy Secretary. He is expected to be approved for the post by the full chamber in the next few weeks.

Unlike Phelan, who has no previous military experience, Cao is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and deployed with special operations forces to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia during his 25-year military career.

He also worked on the Navy budget process during an assignment to the Pentagon and received a master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.