President Donald Trump will nominate retired Lt. Col. Mark Esper to be Army secretary, the Washington Examiner reports.
The website attributes its information to an unnamed administration official.
His nomination would come after the withdrawal of two previous nominees, billionaire Vincent Viola and Tennessee Sen. Mark Green.
Viola withdrew in early February after being unable to untangle his finances, Politico reported. And Green stepped aside in May in the face of mounting opposition over statements about Muslims and LGBT rights.
Pentagon officials are expressing confidence that Esper will be quickly confirmed, according to the Examiner. Esper served more than a decade on active duty and saw combat duty in Iraq during the Gulf War.
He is the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for negotiations policy.
He also has worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Aerospace Industries Association and the Heritage Foundation, the Examiner reported.
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