On Friday, President Joe Biden announced his decision to nominate retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Carlos Del Toro to serve as the next Secretary of the Navy.
The White House announced Biden’s pick to serve as the top civilian leader of the Department of the Navy in a Friday statement provided to American Military News.
Del Toro served a 22-year career in the Navy and has an overall 40 years of experience in naval operations and national security as well as budgeting, and acquisition.
Del Toro was born in Havana, Cuba, Del and immigrated to the U.S. with his family as refugees in 1962. After growing up in New York City, Del Toro obtained his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and then commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
According to the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, Del Toro served on a frigate, two destroyers, a cruiser, and an aircraft carrier and deployed multiple times to the Mediterranean and Black Seas during the Cold War, to the Pacific, and then to the Persian Gulf three times during Operations Desert Shield and Storm.
During his Navy career, Del Toro served as the first commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley. He also went on to serve as the Senior Executive Assistant to the Director for Program Analysis and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense before founding his own company, SBG Technology Solutions, Inc.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee offered praise for Del Toro’s nomination shortly after the White House announced it on Friday.
“Mr. Del Toro is a proven leader who is well equipped to lead our Navy,” Smith said. “His story is uniquely American, as is his service to our nation, which include multiple deployments during the Cold War and Operation Desert Shield and Storm and culminated in his selection for the rank of Captain and Major Command at Sea. After retiring from the Navy, Del Toro continued to lead in the private sector as the CEO and President of an engineering and IT services company. As recently as 2020 the company was recognized by the Small Business Administration as an SBA success story – another testament to Del Toro’s leadership.”
Smith added that “with decades of experience, both in and out of uniform, Del Toro is an excellent pick to lead the Navy and I look forward to working with him once confirmed by the Senate.”
If confirmed, Del Toro would replace Thomas Harker, who has been serving as the Navy Secretary in a temporary acting capacity since Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021.
