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Defense Department announces departure of Chief of Staff

Posted at 8:11 PM, Jan 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-05 20:11:51-05

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rear Admiral Kevin Sweeney, USN (Ret.), has stepped down as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense. He had been serving within this role since January 2017.

With strong ties to the Hampton Roads area,  he served as the Interim President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance after retiring from the Navy.

“After two years in the Pentagon, I’ve decided the time is right to return to the private sector. It has been an honor to serve again alongside the men and women of the Department of Defense,” said Sweeney.

Sweeney served as chief of staff to former Defense Secretary James Mattis. Mattis resigned last month after President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Pentagon spokesperson Dana White has also stepped down as of last week.