Mark T Esper, President Donald Trump’s pick for new Acting US Defence Secretary, is an Army veteran who fought in the Gulf war and worked as a lobbyist for one of America’s biggest military contractors.
The 55-year-old ex-classmate of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was chosen after Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan withdrew his nomination, which took many by surprise.
Esper is taking over against the backdrop of soaring tensions between the US and Iran which has said it would surpass the uranium-stockpile limit set by its nuclear deal in the next 10 days.
Making the announcement of the new appointment, President Trump said that his current Army secretary Esper would lead the Defence Department.
“I know Mark, and have no doubt he will do a fantastic job!” he said in a tweet.
Trump told reporters that he is likely to nominate Esper for the permanent job.
Esper, elevated from his job as Army secretary to be Acting Defense Secretary, became the third person to lead the Pentagon under President Trump. James Norman Mattis was the first one to lead Pentagon after Trump assumed office.
Esper, after graduating from West Point, served in the Army, the Army Reserve and National Guard in some capacity for more than two decades, The New York Times reported.
The NYT report said that Shanahan’s 30-year career at Boeing complicated his nomination and Esper’s tenure as Raytheon’s top lobbyist could leave him facing a similar issue.