Donald Winter, resigned as Navy Secretary March 13, as he had planned. “As I relinquish my duties as Secretary of the Navy, I count myself blessed for having had the opportunity to serve as your Secretary,” he said in a release to sailors and marines. Winter assumed the post as 74th Navy Secretary in January 2006. He had agreed to remain in office until March 13 to ease the transition inside the Pentagon as the Obama Administration assembled its defense leadership team. B.J. Penn will serve as acting Navy Secretary until the Senate confirms a yet-to-be-announced nominee whom President Obama will select. Unlike Winter, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley agreed to stay on indefinitely in the new Administration. And, Pete Geren remains Army Secretary for the time being.
When acting Air Force Secretary Gary A. Ashworth rescinded service-wide “Family Days” last week citing the need to build readiness, he left it up to commanders, directors, and supervisors to decide if they would still permit extra days off. Here’s how Air Force major commands are taking that guidance.