The Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday held a confirmation hearing for three key Department of Defense (DoD) leadership nominations:  Alan F. Estevez to be Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology); Frederick E, Vollrath to be Assistance Secretary for Defense (Readiness and Force Management); and Eric K. Fanning to be Under Secretary of the Air Force.

Mr. Estevez has many years of experience in defense logistics.  He has been serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness since 2011.  Prior to that he served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Logistics and Readiness and the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Supply Chain Integration.  During his non-executive DoD career Mr. Estevez was instrumental in reengineering transportation processes and managing Army logistics deficiencies during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  Before that, he worked for the Military Traffic Management Command in various locations.

Mr. Vollrath has a long career in numerous personnel and personnel systems areas.  He is currently Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Readiness and Force Management.  He has 35 years of military service, retiring from the Army in 1998.  Prior to his retirement, he held the rank of Lieutenant General (USA) serving as Army Deputy Chief of Personnel.  Mr. Vollrath’s other principal military assignments included Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, U.S. Army Europe, Director of Enlistment Personnel Management, and Commanding General of the Personnel Information Systems Command.  In the private sector he was President of Vollrath Consulting (2006-2012) and Vice President of Human Resources for Computer Services Corporation (1999-2006).

Mr. Fanning has been the Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Chief Management Officer of the Navy since 2009.  He previously served in DoD as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (1993-1996).  He has also served as Associate Director of Political Affairs in the White House (1996) and a professional staff member of the House Armed Services Committee (1991-1993).  Mr. Fanning has also served as the Deputy Director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.  From 2001-2007 Mr. Fanning was a regional director and later Senior Vice President for Strategic Development for Business Executives for National Security (BENS).  His other private sector experience includes positions at Robinson, Lerer, & Montgomery and CBS News.