With Esper’s nomination, the Pentagon gets its third Acting SecDef in one month, underscoring the continued turmoil at the top of Trump administration’s national security machine.

“We’re expediting the process, but there are no shortcuts,” says SASC Ranking Member Jack Reed regarding Mark Esper’s SecDef confirmation hearing.

Mark Esper got on a plane to NATO just 24 hours after taking over at the Pentagon. There are two main reasons why.

Insiders say dysfunction within Griffin’s office is creating concerns within the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.

Army Secretary Mark Esper has publicly said the armored off-road truck was designed to defeat guerrillas, at a time when the Army is refocusing on great powers. But the Army still plans to buy about 50,000 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and has even added JLTV to its elite list of 31 top-priority programs.

As the three most powerful civilians in the Army Department, Esper, McCarthy, and Jette have formed by all accounts a tight-knit and effective team. That’s particularly remarkable because they’ve had abundant opportunities for conflict as they turned the Army bureaucracy upside down.

After five months on the job, the Pentagon’s Acting SecDef is ousted for a new Acting SecDef — keeping the Trump administration’s carousel wheel spinning.

The Army can cope with regional dangers like Iran even as it refocuses on Russia and China, the secretary said. In fact, he said, the Army’s controversial modernization program will help with both sets of threats.

A light scout and a mid-size transport remain Army aviation’s top two priorities, Secretary Mark Esper said, but industry needs to start thinking about the next heavy-lift aircraft and stop fighting against cuts to the venerable CH-47.

The Army wants to keep its options open on upgrading its heaviest cargo helicopter. Boeing is worried the window of opportunity — and its factory — will close before the Army makes up its mind.