Durbin Meets With Defense Secretary Nominee, Dr. Mark Esper
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today met with Dr. Mark Esper, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense. During today’s meeting, Durbin asked Dr. Esper about the ongoing U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis at the border that President Trump created with his anti-immigrant policies.
“Dr. Esper is a respected professional, who has devoted a major part of his life in service to this country,” Durbin said. “The Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration has a special responsibility to advise a President who has no experience in national security. I believe that Dr. Esper is up to the task.”
A photo of today’s meeting is available here.
Dr. Mark Esper was born in April 1964, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He is a 1986 graduate of the United States Military Academy and received his commission in the Infantry. Upon completion of Ranger and Pathfinder training, he served in the 101st Airborne Division and participated in the 1990-91 Gulf War with the “Screaming Eagles.” He later commanded a Rifle Company in the 3-325 Airborne Battalion Combat Team in Vicenza, Italy. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2007 after spending 10 years on active duty and 11 years in the National Guard and Army Reserve. Before being nominated as the Secretary of the Army in 2017, Dr. Esper was the Vice President for Government Relations at the Raytheon Company.
Dr. Esper is a recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, as well as the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal-Saudi Arabia, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
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