By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.
Navy Secretary, Philip Bilden, has less relevant experience than any of his predecessors since 1980, Breaking Defense has found. To be precise, every Navy Secretary for 36 years has had significant prior experience in either government or the defense industry or both: Bilden has none.
Navy Secretary, Philip Bilden, has less relevant experience than any of his predecessors since 1980, Breaking Defense has found. To be precise, every Navy Secretary for 36 years has had significant prior experience in either government or the defense industry or both: Bilden has none.
In this administration, having no history in the “swamp” that Trump plans to drain is arguably a major plus. But it’s a potential concern. Recent legislation has given the services increased authority to oversee complex and easily mismanaged weapons programs, and Trump has pledged a massive build-up of the Navy.
None of this is to deny Bilden’s distinguished resumé outside D.C.. He served 10 years in the US Army Reserve, leaving at the honorable but unexceptional rank of captain when he moved to Hong Kong in 1996. His almost two decades in East Asia as a highly successful private equity investor give him great experience in a geostrategically crucial region. Since retiring, he has joined the boards of the US Naval Academy and the Naval War College Foundation, making influential connections — most notably Defense Secretary James Mattis — and promoting scholarship of cyber warfare. Bilden even has a very personal stake: His father served in the Navy, his older son is now serving, and his younger son is at the Naval Academy.
All told, Bilden’s record in business, Asia, and the Navy community would make him a strong candidate for many government positions, such as ambassador to Beijing. But compared to past Secretaries of the Navy, Bilden is remarkably short on relevant experience. Of the nine Navy Secretaries since 1980,
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