Robert Work, the under secretary of the Navy, said yesterday that he plans to step down after serving in the position since 2009.
Asked whether he would stay on during a question and answer session after a speech at the Surface Navy Association symposium, Work said his appearance at the annual conference this week was likely his last in the capacity of his current job.
Work is considered to be one of the Navy’s staunchest and most vocal supporters of the Littoral Combat Ship program, which has at times been mired in controversy and subjected to sharp criticism from the media and congressional lawmakers.
“Walking away from (the job) will be really tough,” Work said, while adding that he needed to take a “step back.” He did not rule out a return to the government.”I’ll do something for a while and then come back,” he said.
He did not provide a time frame for his departure. A Navy spokeswoman said it was not expected to take place in the immediate future.
In a speech earlier in the day, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said he has no intention of leaving and plans to stay on the job for as long as President Barack Obama would like him to.
Work, a former Marine, served on Obama’s defense transition team in 2008 before his nomination to become under secretary was cleared by the Senate in May 2009. Work has previously held stints at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment and at the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment.