Richard V. Spencer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard V. Spencer
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Official portrait, 2019
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| 76th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
| In office August 3, 2017 – November 24, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Thomas Modly |
| Preceded by | Sean Stackley |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Braithwaite |
| Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense | |
| In office July 24 – July 31, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | David Norquist (acting) |
| Succeeded by | David Norquist |
| Acting United States Secretary of Defense | |
| In office July 15 – July 23, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | David Norquist (acting) |
| Preceded by | Mark Esper (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Mark Esper |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Richard Vaughn Spencer
January 18, 1954 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Rollins College (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1976–1981 |
| Rank | Captain |
| *Thomas Modly served in an acting capacity from July 15 to July 31, 2019, while Spencer served as Acting Secretary and then Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense. | |
Richard Vaughn Spencer, born on January 18, 1954, is an American politician and businessman. He is best known for serving as the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2017 to 2019. Before this important role, he was a Marine Aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also worked in the financial world for many years.
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Who is Richard V. Spencer?
Richard V. Spencer held a very important job as the head of the United States Navy. This role is called the Secretary of the Navy. He was in charge of making sure the Navy and Marine Corps were strong and ready. He also briefly served as the acting United States Secretary of Defense and acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense in 2019.
Early Life and Military Service
Richard Spencer was born in 1954 in Waterbury, Connecticut. He went to Rollins College and studied economics. After college, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1976. He served as a Marine Aviator, which means he was a pilot for the Marines. He flew helicopters with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161. He left the Marines in 1981 with the rank of captain.
Career in Business and Government
After his time in the Marines, Spencer worked in financial services for 15 years. He held positions at several well-known companies like Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.
From 2009 to 2015, Spencer was part of the Defense Business Board. This is a group that gives advice to the Pentagon (the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense). He also advised the Chief of Naval Operations.
In June 2017, President Donald Trump chose Richard Spencer to be the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy. The United States Senate approved his nomination on August 1, 2017. He officially started his job on August 3, 2017.
As Secretary of the Navy, he was responsible for the civilian leadership of the Navy and Marine Corps. This means he helped manage their budgets, policies, and overall direction.
A Change in Leadership
In November 2019, Richard Spencer left his role as Secretary of the Navy. This happened after a disagreement with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and the White House. The disagreement was about how a specific military justice case was handled.
Secretary Esper stated that Spencer had made a suggestion to White House officials without telling him first. This went against the usual rules of communication, known as the "chain of command." Spencer believed that following the rules of "good order and discipline" was very important for the military. He felt he could not follow an order that he believed went against his oath to support the U.S. Constitution.
After His Time in Government
After leaving his government role, Richard Spencer continued to be involved in public discussions. In February 2020, he supported Michael Bloomberg for president in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. He is also a member of groups that support the Marine Corps.
See also
In Spanish: Richard V. Spencer para niños
