Camarillo Becomes New Army Undersecretary
Camarillo Becomes New Army Undersecretary
Gabe Camarillo, an attorney who has served in various positions in DoD, was sworn in Feb. 8 as the new undersecretary of the Army.
Camarillo, who is the 35th Army undersecretary, was confirmed Feb. 2 by the Senate. As the undersecretary, he is the Army secretary’s senior civilian assistant and principal adviser on matters related to the management and operation of the Army. He is also the chief management officer of the Army.
In his first tweet as Army undersecretary, Camarillo wrote that he is “humbled” to serve, adding, “There is no job as rewarding as serving with Soldiers and Civilians in the Army.”
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth praised Camarillo for “a wealth of experience and knowledge which will help us build on our strong foundational priorities of people, modernization, and readiness.”
Additionally, the Senate on Feb. 9 confirmed Douglas Bush to be the next assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. A former armor officer with years of experience on Capitol Hill, Bush was serving as the Army’s top acquisition official in an acting capacity when he was nominated for the permanent job last September.
In this role, Bush will be responsible for leading the Army’s acquisition enterprise, overseeing all Army acquisition programs and advising the Army secretary on acquisition programs and policies.
A West Point graduate who served in the Army’s 24th Infantry Division and 3rd Infantry Division, Bush worked as a congressional staff member for more than 18 years and previously was a national security analyst at the Association of the U.S. Army.
Camarillo spent several years at DoD over a career in government and private practice. From 2012 to 2015, he was the principal deputy assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, where he helped lead the Army’s research and development and modernization portfolio.
In 2015, he was appointed as the assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, and most recently, Camarillo was a senior vice president at SAIC. He also has worked as a lawyer in private practice, specializing in commercial litigation, campaign finance and government ethics.
Camarillo succeeds Christopher Lowman, who had been the senior official performing the duties of the Army undersecretary for the past year after James McPherson, the 34th undersecretary, stepped down.
Filling the job was the “ultimate privilege,” Lowman wrote in a message to the force.
“During these unprecedented times, you have tackled every challenge and answered the Nation’s call with the utmost professionalism,” he wrote. “I am confident that our Army is stronger because of you.”
During his confirmation hearing in October, Camarillo told the Senate Armed Services Committee that preventing harmful behaviors among soldiers, particularly sexual assault and harassment, is one of the most “significant challenges” Army leaders must tackle.
The Army also faces a “significant” challenge in finding a balance between current readiness and investing in the future through the service’s modernization programs.
“Given the landscape of evolving threats, rapidly proliferating technology and global competition, the Army has undertaken a significant campaign to modernize its warfighting capabilities,” Camarillo told lawmakers. “These efforts are designed to address key capability gaps and ensure that the Army is prepared to respond to joint requirements in multi-domain operations. If confirmed, I would work with Army leaders to ensure that the Army manages its investments to address these challenges.”