President to Nominate Wilkie as VA Secretary

President Trump today announced that he will nominate Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to lead the department permanently. Wilkie has served as acting VA secretary since March 28. Wilkie is the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. He is the principal advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for Total Force Management as it relates to readiness; National Guard and Reserve component affairs; health affairs; training; and personnel requirements and management. He has more than 20 years of experience at the national and international level. Wilkie served both Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld as Assistant Secretary of Defense from 2005-2009, and was the youngest senior leader in the department.