WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent job, giving the Navy combat veteran the nod as concerns have emerged that some sailors have been stretched to the limit during the Iran war.
Cao has been serving as acting Navy secretary since John Phelan departed the job unexpectedly and without explanation in late April. Unlike Phelan, who had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service, Cao spent 25 years in the Navy as a special operations officer and went on to serve with SEAL teams and special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I am pleased to nominate a true WARRIOR," Trump wrote on social media, prodding the Senate "to confirm this Warfighter, ASAP."
Cao on social media called it the "honor of a lifetime to lead the great warriors of the Navy and Marine Corps team."
Cao's nomination comes as some, including Democrats in Congress, believe Trump has been overtaxing the Navy. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier's nine-month deployment to support the Iran war has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea.

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