President Obama announced that he will nominate Eric Fanning to be Secretary of the Army. If confirmed by the Senate, Fanning would succeed John McHugh who has served as Army secretary since September 2009. McHugh has announced he will step down from the post in November.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter praised the selection calling Fanning “one of our country's most knowledgeable, dedicated, and experienced public servants.” Carter said he has confidence that Fanning “will strengthen our Army, build on its best traditions, and prepare our ground forces to confront a new generation of challenges."

Fanning is currently serving as Acting Under Secretary of the Army since June 30, 2015. Prior to that he served as The Special Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Mr. Fanning has also held senior leadership jobs in the Department of the Air Force and the Department of the Navy. From April 2013 to February 2015 he served as the Under Secretary of the Air Force during which time he was Acting Secretary of the Air Force for six months. Fanning was the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy/Deputy Chief Management Officer for four years beginning in 2009.

Prior to serving in the Department of Defense, Fanning held a number of jobs related to national security. In 2009 he was Deputy Director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Prior to that, he was managing director of CMG, a strategic communications company, and Senior Vice President For Strategic Development at Business Executives for National Security (BENS). Fanning was also a Senior Associate for Robinson, Lere & Montgomery (a strategic communications firm) and worked for CBS News in New York. Fanning also served on Capitol Hill as a research assistant with the House Armed Services Committee.