Mark Esper

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In this April 1, 2020, photo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) **FILE**

Cautious Pentagon extends troop travel limits through June

By ROBERT BURNS - Associated Press

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, right, during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Monday, March 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) **FILE**

Joint Chiefs Chairman: Proper military haircut still required in a pandemic

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

In this Dec. 3, 2019, file photo, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly testifies during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee about ongoing reports of substandard housing conditions in Washington, on Capitol Hill. Modly says the captain of the COVID-stricken aircraft carrier who was fired last week had betrayed his service and may have been “too naive or too stupid” to be commanding officer of the ship. He later apologized for those remarks and subsequently tendered his resignation to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) **FILE**

Sen. Jack Reed calls for investigation into Modly resignation

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

In this Dec. 15, 2019, photo U.S.Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), addresses the crew during an all hands call on the ship's flight deck while conducting routine training in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. U.S. defense leaders are backing the Navy's decision to fire the ship captain who sought help for his coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, even as videos showed his sailors cheering him as he walked off the vessel. Videos went viral on social media Friday, April 3, 2020, showing hundreds of sailors gathered on the ship chanting and applauding Navy Capt. Brett Crozier as he walked down the ramp, turned, saluted, waved and got into a waiting car. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kaylianna Genier via AP)

USS Theodore Roosevelt has 155 coronavirus cases, Mark Esper says

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Military to operate largest hospital in U.S. to fight coronavirus

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

In this Dec. 15, 2019, photo U.S.Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), addresses the crew during an all hands call on the ship's flight deck while conducting routine training in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. U.S. defense leaders are backing the Navy's decision to fire the ship captain who sought help for his coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, even as videos showed his sailors cheering him as he walked off the vessel. Videos went viral on social media Friday, April 3, 2020, showing hundreds of sailors gathered on the ship chanting and applauding Navy Capt. Brett Crozier as he walked down the ramp, turned, saluted, waved and got into a waiting car. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kaylianna Genier via AP)

Esper defends firing of Navy ship captain over virus warning

By HOPE YEN - Associated Press

President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room, Friday, March 27, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump boosts virus aid, warns governors to be ‘appreciative’

By ZEKE MILLER and JILL COLVIN and DARLENE SUPERVILLE - Associated Press

Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Monday, March 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Esper: Pentagon to give respirator masks, ventilators to HHS

By ROBERT BURNS - Associated Press

Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Monday, March 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Pentagon to provide coronavirus equipment to HHS

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, a sailor assigned to the Grey Knights of Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 signals the pilot in the flight station of a P-8A Poseidon during a pre-flight check on Oct. 23, 2019, in Oak Harbor, Wash. A Chinese Navy ship fired a laser at a U.S. surveillance aircraft flying over the Philippine Sea west of Guam, the Navy said Feb. 27, 2020, acknowledging the incident more than a week after it happened. (Austin Ingram/U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class via AP)

Mark Esper presses Chinese general on ‘unsafe’ use of laser against U.S. warplane

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Mark Esper testifies to the Senate Armed Services Committee about the budget, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Esper says new virus won’t prevent military operations

By by LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, left, accompanied by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, right, speaks at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Mark Esper, Defense secretary, approves ‘tenant bill of rights’ for troubled military housing

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, accompanied by Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday that China remains the Defense Department's "highest priority." (Associated Press)

Mark Esper: China threat Pentagon’s ‘highest priority’

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe that he has no intention of decreasing the U.S. troop presence in Africa. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Pentagon heeds Capitol Hill complaints on Africa pullback

By Lauren Toms - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe that he has no intention of decreasing the U.S. troop presence in Africa. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

U.S., South Korea at odds over Trump troop payment demand

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, left, listens as South Korean National Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, right, speaks during a news conference at Pentagon in Washington, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

US and SKorea may cut back military moves due to coronavirus

By ROBERT BURNS and LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks to reporters during a visit to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb., Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Mark Esper plays himself in nuclear war game

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, shakes hands with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, right, as US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper watches during the 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany, on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. The 2020 edition of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) takes place from Feb. 14 to 16. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool photo via AP)

Esper says Taliban deal is promising but not without risk

By ROBERT BURNS and MATTHEW LEE - Associated Press

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, shakes hands with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during a media opportunity, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Stormy US-Europe relations as top officials head to Munich

By MATTHEW LEE - Associated Press

Esper

Mark Esper: Drone attack that killed Qassem Soleimani an ‘easy’ call

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times