World News Live Updates: Senate confirms Driscoll as Army secretary, putting an Iraq War vet at the helm

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Dan Driscoll to be the next Army secretary, voting 66-28 to put the former soldier and Iraq War veteran at the helm of the service.

Driscoll, 38, of North Carolina, had served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He served in the Army for less than four years and left at the rank of first lieutenant.

During his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Driscoll noted that his father and grandfather served in the Army and he vowed to be a secretary focused on the needs of soldiers.

“We are a family that is grateful to have had the privilege of wearing the uniform of the United States Army,” he said during the hearing. “We are a family that understands the gravity of leading soldiers in and out of combat.”

Driscoll takes over an Army that has been moving steadily to overcome recruiting shortfalls through a sweeping overhaul of its programs and staffing, while also revamping and modernizing its weapons systems.

He also will have to deal with the repercussions of the chaotic and confusing new personnel decisions coming out of the Trump administration’s campaign to slash the government workforce. Officials have to ensure that the cuts don’t erode national security.