Ryan D. McCarthy

The Honorable Ryan D. McCarthy

Former Secretary of the United States Army

Ryan D. McCarthy served as the 24th Secretary of the Army from September 30, 2019 to January 20, 2021. As Secretary, he had statutory responsibilities for all matters relating to the U.S. Army, to include the recruitment, organization, training, equipping, and care of 1.4 million active duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve soldiers and their families, as well as Department of the Army civilians.

Mr. McCarthy was confirmed as the 33rd Under Secretary of the Army on August 1, 2017. While Under Secretary, he served as the acting Secretary of the Army on two occasions – from August 3 to November 20, 2017, then from June 24 to July 15, 2019. Prior to his confirmation as Under Secretary of the Army, Mr. McCarthy worked for Lockheed Martin Corporation in sequential vice president roles, and was responsible for the sustainment, customer solutions, and program integration of the F-35 program and the company's global security policy.

Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. McCarthy previously served as the special assistant to former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates under Presidents Bush and Obama. He also served as the special assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics and was responsible for policy development and coordination with the Joint Staff and U.S. military service acquisition leaders on procurement and supply chain management policies. McCarthy served as a professional staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations. Prior to his service in the U.S. Congress, from 2002 to 2005 he worked as the Vice President of Commercial Financing for the Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation.

Mr. McCarthy served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2002, where he served in combat in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in history from Virginia Military Institute and a master of business administration degree from the University of Maryland.

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