Ryan D. McCarthy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ryan McCarthy
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Official portrait, 2017
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| 24th United States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office September 30, 2019 – January 20, 2021 Acting: July 23, 2019 – September 30, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | James E. McPherson |
| Preceded by | Mark Esper |
| Succeeded by | Christine E. Wormuth |
| In office June 24, 2019 – July 15, 2019 Acting |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Mark Esper |
| Succeeded by | Mark Esper* |
| In office August 3, 2017 – November 20, 2017 Acting |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Robert M. Speer (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Mark Esper |
| 33rd United States Under Secretary of the Army | |
| In office August 3, 2017 – September 30, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Brad Carson |
| Succeeded by | James E. McPherson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1973/1974 (age 50–51) |
| Alma mater | |
| Awards | Combat Infantryman Badge |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1997–2002 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 75th Ranger Regiment |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
| *McCarthy served in an acting capacity until Esper's formal nomination to be Secretary of Defense was submitted to the Senate. While McCarthy served as Acting Army Secretary, McPherson served as Acting Under Secretary. | |
Ryan D. McCarthy was a very important leader for the United States Army. He served as the 24th United States Secretary of the Army from 2019 to 2021. Before that, he was a special soldier called a U.S. Army Ranger. He also worked as a business executive.
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Education and Military Service
Ryan McCarthy went to the Virginia Military Institute. He earned a degree in history there. Later, he got a business degree from the University of Maryland.
He was a U.S. Army Ranger and served in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He was part of the United States invasion of Afghanistan. In 2019, he was honored by being added to the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.
Working in Business
Early in his career, McCarthy worked for a bank called HSBC. He also worked for a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a special helper to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
In 2011, McCarthy started working at Lockheed Martin. This company makes airplanes and other defense equipment. He helped with programs like the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jet. He was a vice president for the F-35 program. In 2022, he joined Syracuse University as an advisor.
Leading the Army
In 2017, President Donald Trump chose Ryan McCarthy to be the United States Under Secretary of the Army. This is the second-highest civilian job in the Army. The United States Senate approved him for this role.
While he was Under Secretary, he also served as the acting United States Secretary of the Army two times. The first time was in 2017. During this time, he helped create a new Army group called Army Futures Command (AFC). The second time was in 2019.
U.S. Secretary of the Army
President Trump nominated McCarthy to become the full Secretary of the Army in June 2019. He was approved and officially started the job on September 30, 2019.
As Secretary of the Army, McCarthy met with important leaders from other countries. For example, he met with the UK's Minister of State for the Armed Forces in 2020.
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Responding to Protests
In 2020, during some protests, McCarthy activated the D.C. National Guard. This group of soldiers helps with local law enforcement. The D.C. National Guard reports directly to the President. The President had given this power to the Secretary of Defense, who then gave it to the Secretary of the Army.
McCarthy gave the order to use helicopters during the protests. An investigation looked into how the National Guard used helicopters. The investigation found that there was a "systematic lack of understanding" about using military aircraft for civil events.
U.S. Capitol Events
On January 6, 2021, a group of people entered the U.S. Capitol. Questions were asked about how the D.C. National Guard responded. McCarthy said there were no plans for the Guard to help Capitol police if things got out of hand.
The D.C. National Guard's leader said that McCarthy had put special rules in place. These rules meant that quick help from the Guard needed approval from higher-ups. This slowed down their response. However, a later report from the Department of Defense said that the actions taken before January 6 were appropriate.
Improving Housing
In 2018, news reports showed problems with housing for military families. Some homes had mold or other issues. McCarthy, who was Under Secretary at the time, said he was embarrassed. He was thankful that news groups and families spoke up about these problems.
In 2019, as Secretary of the Army, McCarthy told Congress about steps the Army was taking. They put a four-star general in charge of housing. This general could stop payments to housing companies if they did not do a good job.
COVID Support Effort
In March 2020, McCarthy told U.S. Army units to get ready to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. He sent Army hospitals to New York and Washington State.
By April 2020, the Army had many medical teams helping in New York City and New Jersey. The pandemic affected almost everything the Army did. McCarthy started programs to help the Army keep working safely.
Army Modernization
McCarthy strongly supported making the Army more modern. He helped create the Army Futures Command (AFC).
The U.S. Army Futures Command started in 2018. It works on new projects for the Army. Its main office is in Austin, Texas. This command focuses on six main goals. These include better long-range weapons and new combat vehicles. They also work on future aircraft and improved soldier equipment.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2017
See also
In Spanish: Ryan D. McCarthy para niños
