Small Wars Journal

Trump Taps Billionaire West Point Grad for Army Secretary

Mon, 12/19/2016 - 1:12pm

Trump Taps Billionaire West Point Grad for Army Secretary by Corey Dickstein, Stars & Stripes

Billionaire New York businessman and Army veteran Vincent Viola is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the Army’s top civilian, Trump’s transition team announced Monday.

Trump said Viola’s business acumen was just as important as his Army background in choosing him to lead the largest of the military services. Viola and the president-elect met Friday at Trump Tower in New York City.

“Whether it is his distinguished military service or highly impressive track record in the world of business, Vinnie has proved throughout his life that he knows how to be a leader and deliver major results in the face of any challenge,” Trump said in a statement. “He is a man of outstanding work ethic, integrity, and strategic vision, with an exceptional ability to motivate others.”

Viola joins retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, who Trump has nominated for secretary of defense, as the only Pentagon appointments announced by Trump so far.

Viola is a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York who served as an infantry officer on active duty and later in the Army Reserves. He retired as a major, according to his biography…

Read on.