Some of the nation’s war heroes are taking the unusual step of publicly lobbying President Trump for his next Army secretary nomination — as Pentagon insiders say a three-way race to replace Dan Driscoll has turned into a “knife fight.”
asserted
race → take → fight
Four of the United States’ 65 living Medal of Honor recipients made their case to The Post — with two urging Trump to pick dark horse Marc Andersen, the Army’s comptroller and assistant secretary for financial management, and two others who endorsed Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
asserted
who → live → Parnell
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth suggested to Trump last week that he tap Parnell or the department’s legislative affairs chief Dane Hughes to replace Driscoll, who had a bitter power struggle with Hegseth.
uncertain
who → suggest → Hegseth
The fact that Andersen doesn’t seem to be the front-runner prompted two Medal of Honor recipients to make his case.
“[Trump] shouldn’t go with the easy button pick.
asserted
Trump → seem → pick
He should pick the person that is going to build him an Army that is capable of dominating on any battlefield,” said Britt Slabinski, who received his medal from Trump in 2018 for leading a daring rescue mission in Afghanistan after his helicopter was shot down.
asserted
helicopter → pick → Afghanistan
“There’s guys that get in these roles — guys and girls — and they use it for personal gain.
asserted
they → ’ → gain
They get in there and they just kind of do this caretaker role,” said Slabinski, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
asserted
Slabinski → get → Society
“My sense is that Marc’s not an elitist.”
asserted
Marc → ’ → ?
Andersen, a former venture capital and consulting executive, has a wide network of support from his work with veteran charities — and has managed the Army’s nearly $200 billion budget since last October with a focus on modernization projects.
asserted
Andersen → consult → projects
“Most of the time you get people in these positions who are just consumers.
asserted
who → get → positions
They’re consumers of time, of our resources.
asserted
They → ’re → resources
I think he’s going to be a contributor to the Army and more so to the nation,” Slabinski said.
asserted
Slabinski → think → nation
“We have enough people that start things.
asserted
that → have → things
We don’t have enough finishers.
asserted
We → have → finishers
Petry earned the country’s highest military honor by heroically grabbing and throwing a grenade away from his comrades during a firefight in Afghanistan — despite already being wounded in both legs.
asserted
Petry → earn → legs
“There’s two things I judge my friends off of: character and merit only. …
asserted
I → ’ → friends
Performance and personality and especially his character should carry him forward,” Petry said of Anderson.
asserted
Petry → carry → Anderson
“He’s already doing a phenomenal job in his position.
asserted
He → do → position
But I think he would make an excellent choice for secretary of the Army.
asserted
he → think → Army
“The troops love him, and he loves the troops.
asserted
he → love → troops
He’s a family man, so he understands that perspective of how hard it can be to be not only a soldier in the Army, but to have a family in the Army as well.
asserted
it → ’ → Army
Petry said if he was in the Army, “I would pick him.”
asserted
I → say → him
‘I’m actually a Parnell guy’
asserted
I → ’m → ?
Medal of Honor recipient Earl Plumlee, who was referred to The Post to speak on Andersen’s behalf, said “I’m actually a Parnell guy.”
“The reason I think Parnell is the better choice is just the vast amount of experience that he’s going to have in interacting with the industry,” said Plumlee, who incurred severe injuries fighting off a surprise attack by 10 Afghan insurgents and carried a wounded soldier to safety.
asserted
who → refer → safety
“The nuclear weapon of our age is going to be machine learning and AI data centers, and none of that’s possible without the Army Corps of Engineers really planning out and getting the power there to run all those systems,” he said.
asserted
he → go → systems
“The majority of the fight is avoiding any kind of actually kinetic conflict by winning that race, and so that’s the race
asserted
that → avoid → race
the Army has to win
asserted
Army → have → ?
“We’ve got enough enemies.
asserted
We → get → enemies
We don’t need to be fighting internally, and you know, I really admired and liked Driscoll, and it really broke my heart that him and Secretary Hegseth were fighting all the time because you know, what a waste of talent,” he added.
asserted
he → need → talent
Dakota Meyer, who received a Medal of Honor for rescuing wounded Afghans and recovering the bodies of fallen US troops during an attack, said in a statement he strongly supports Parnell.
asserted
he → receive → Parnell
“I’ve known Sean Parnell for more than a decade, and I can say without hesitation that he is exactly the kind of leader I want serving as Secretary of the Army,” he said.
asserted
he → know → Army
“I know there is no substitute for having led men in war, carried the weight of their lives on your shoulders, and lived with the consequences of decisions made far above you.
asserted
I → know → you
Sean has done that.
asserted
Sean → do → that
And now he knows his way around the Pentagon, too.
asserted
he → know → Pentagon
Meyer explained that Parnell understands “both the warfighter on the ground and how decisions get made at the highest levels.”
He’s a warrior, a proven leader and a man of character.
asserted
He → explain → character
I fully endorse Sean Parnell for Secretary of the Army.
asserted
I → endorse → Army
Put him in the job,” he continued.
asserted
he → put → job
Parnell has also received backing from Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.).
asserted
Parnell → receive → McCormick
“I have full confidence that if Sean is given the honor of serving in this role, he will do so with courage and distinction,” McCormick wrote in a Thursday post on X.
But abuse allegations from Parnell’s ex-wife could torpedo a Senate confirmation, however, with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) saying: “His record, particularly the spousal abuse stuff, is just a bridge too far for the vast majority of people.
uncertain
record → have → people
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and a bare majority is required for confirmation.
asserted
majority → hold → confirmation
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
