David Norquist, the White House’s nominee for deputy defense secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said the Department of Defense has a plan in place on how to fill vacant leadership positions, Federal News Network reported Thursday.
“Should I be confirmed, with Secretary Esper, putting the team in place as quickly and as early as possible so that you have them for the duration is absolutely essential,†Norquist told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.
“There’s a list of the positions and there’s a list of the candidates and where they are in the process of either getting the background investigation, the clearance, the vetting. So that is underway. There are routine meetings to ensure that keeps moving,†he added.
He testified before the Senate panel a day after the upper chamber confirmed Mark Esper, 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, as DoD secretary. According to the report, some of the vacancies are in the department’s personnel and readiness office and policy organization. The administration has not yet announced a nominee for the inspector general position at the Pentagon.