Trump turns to outsider to shake up Navy, but his lack of military experience raises concerns

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, has not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service. While officials and defense experts say the Navy is in sore need of a disruptor, they caution that Phelan’s lack of experience could make it more difficult for him to realize Trump’s goals. Brad Bowman is senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He says, “The stakes are high. The success or failure in addressing key problems in the U.S. Navy over the next couple years may have a decisive effect on war and peace in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere.”