By Geoff Fein
Navy Secretary Donald Winter will be staying at the helm of the Navy until March 13, according to a Navy official.
Winter held off on his decision until Monday and then said he would remain until mid March, or until he is relieved, whichever comes first, Capt. Beci Brenton, Winter’s spokeswoman, told Defense Daily.
“March 13 is just over seven weeks and provides a reasonable time for a relief to be nominated and in place,” Brenton said.
Winter’s decision to remain for a few more months seals up the last remaining service secretary’s slot. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley had earlier accepted Gates’ invitation to remain in their jobs past Inauguration Day (Defense Daily, Jan. 6).
All told, 90 Defense Department political appointees were told last month that they would be dismissed as soon as Obama takes office. The remainder of Bush’s 250 appointees have been asked by Gates to stay in an e-mail sent in November (Defense Daily, Jan 6).
Before the Jan. 20 inauguration day, Winter is expected to announce the winners of the next round of Littoral Combat Ship contract awards. The Navy had previously said both the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-led team and the General Dynamics [GD]-led team will each get one ship under the FY ’09 award.