DOD: Army Secretary McHugh to step down by Nov. 1

Secretary of the Army John McHugh plans to leave his position “no later than Nov. 1” of this year.

McHugh has notified President Barack Obama following discussions with Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) said in a news release posted on its website on Monday.

“Secretary McHugh has been a tremendous public servant for decades, and he has helped lead the Army through a period of challenge and change,” Carter said in the news release. “There will be much time in the coming months to appropriately celebrate his many accomplishments, but for now I will just say that every soldier is better off because of his hard work and vision, and so is the country.”

McHugh expressed his gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. Army for the “tremendous honor” to serve as Secretary, the DOD said in the news release.

McHugh, who previously represented the Watertown area and Fort Drum in the U.S. House of Representatives, on May 21 visited Syracuse University (SU) to learn more about the school’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and veteran and military-connected programs and services that SU offers.

While answering questions from reporters at SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs that day, McHugh said he expects DOD “this summer” should make a decision about cuts to U.S. Army bases that could include Fort Drum, home to the 10th Mountain Division.

In reaction, the office of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) released a short statement about McHugh’s decision.

“As Secretary of the Army, just as he we was in Congress, Secretary McHugh was hard working, intelligent, and stood for making conscientious decisions based on merit,” Schumer said. “He believed in his country and did a great job leading the Army. The country will miss him, the Army will miss him, and I will miss him.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com