Hearing on the Nominations of Sherman, Vazirani, Ricci
Senate Committee on Armed Services
October 28th, 2021 at 09:30 AM ET
On Thursday, October 28th, the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services held a hearing on Carrie Ricci, Nominee to be General Counsel of the Department of the Army; John Sherman, Nominee to be Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense; and Ashish Vazirani, Nominee to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
Carrie Ricci is an Army veteran eager to return “home to the Army.” Her career as a federal civilian lawyer at the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Agriculture followed her twenty-plus years of experience as an Army officer. Ricci also served as part of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee.
If confirmed as Army General Counsel, Ricci will serve as a legal adviser to the Secretary of the Army and as the chief legal officer for the Department of the Army and its authorized officials. Ricci assured the Committee that she is honored and qualified for the position due to her multiple roles in the Army, including working in the Office of the Judge Advocate General and the Office of the General Counsel. In addition, Ricci says she is eager to tackle challenges, like the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment; the COVID-19 pandemic; and the quality of Army housing through her selfless commitment to service towards our soldiers and civilians.
John Sherman is an Army veteran who later served within the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense for over twenty years. Sherman was a duty officer in the White House Situation Room on 9/11. Sherman’s efforts focus on making discoveries and improvements within the technology realm to progress and gain an advantage against our adversaries.
If confirmed, Sherman’s primary responsibilities as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Department of Defense will be a primary advisor to the Secretary of Defense. In addition to serving as an advisor on information technology, management, and assurance, Sherman will drive technology and cyber transformation for competitive advantage, identification of a solution, and Department modernization. Efforts of Sherman’s focus would include Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), the Artificial Intelligence and Data Accelerator (ADA) Initiative, Zero Trust, a Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) multi-cloud enterprise, and implementation of the Electromagnetic Superiority Spectrum Strategy (EMS3). Sherman assured the committee that he would be “honored to shepherd and lead” the continuous advancement in the technology realm to support our warfighter’s capabilities.
Ashish Vazirani is a Navy veteran of Pakistani-Indian heritage. His parents showcased that the American dream is not what you can achieve, “but what you do for others.” Following his parents’ careers of serving others, Vazirani assumed a career serving the public and private sector in the strive to transform the care for our military families.
If confirmed, Vazirani’s responsibilities as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (DUSD(P&R)) would include building a resilient military force, as well as caring for them, their families, and our civilian workforce. Vazirani’s position at the Armed Services YMCA and National Military Family Association showcase his experience and dedication to advocacy and action towards enhancing the quality of life of service members. Per Vazirani, he would be eager and privileged “to sustain a defense community that continues to safeguard freedom and opportunity” of our warfighters, their families, and our civilians.
For a recording of the full committee hearing, please visit the Senate Armed Services Committee calendar.