NDIA welcomes Mark Esper as the new secretary of defense

Defense Secretary Mark Esper

ARLINGTON, VA -- The National Defense Industrial Association offers this statement on the confirmation of Mark Esper as the next U.S. defense secretary:

NDIA congratulates Mark Esper on his rapid confirmation to lead the Defense Department. We look forward to the stability his confirmation will bring to the Pentagon. The nation will be well served by his experience as a former Army officer, Pentagon official and congressional staffer.  

Having been Army secretary since 2017, Esper’s deep understanding of the complex national security issues facing today’s military are critical to the Defense Department’s missions and success. His previous commitment as acting secretary to the priorities of building a more lethal force, strengthening alliances and attracting new partners, and reforming the department for greater performance and affordability reinforces the national defense strategy.

Esper’s pledge to continue the signature efforts of the national defense strategy, which his predecessors set forth, will support the military’s competition with near-peer adversaries and his efforts to modernize the military. NDIA applauds these both.

NDIA applauds the swift, bipartisan confirmation and welcomes Esper to the Pentagon’s highest office.