Hearings to examine the nominations of Marc Berkowitz, of Virginia, Joseph Jewell, of Indiana, and James Caggy, of New York, each to be an Assistant Secretary, and Brendan Rogers, of Connecticut, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, all of the Department of Defense.

2025-10-28

Summary

The committee convened to consider and favorably report 3,475 military nominations, including that of General Kenneth S. Wilsbach for Chief of Staff of the Air Force, which passed swiftly by voice vote.[ 00:23:41-00:24:29 ]

Following this, a hearing was held to consider four nominations for Assistant Secretary positions within the Department of Defense and the Navy: Mr. Mark J. Berkowitz for Space Policy, Dr. Joseph S. Jewell for Science and Technology, Mr. James R. Caggy for Mission Capabilities, and Mr. Brendan P. Rogers for Energy Installations and Environment.[ 00:24:49-00:25:11 ] Each nominee provided an opening statement, outlining their qualifications, motivations, and priorities for their respective roles.[ 00:36:01 ]

Themes

Military Nominations

The meeting began with a formal consideration of 3,475 pending military nominations.[ 00:23:41 ]

Senator Roger F. Wicker specifically mentioned General Kenneth S. Wilsbach for reappointment to the grade of General and to be the Chief of Staff of the Air Force as part of this list.[ 00:23:43 ] The committee quickly moved and passed a motion to report all these nominations favorably to the Senate.[ 00:23:54-00:24:29 ]

Space Policy and Dominance

The discussion emphasized that space is an increasingly contested domain, with China and Russia rapidly advancing capabilities to challenge U.S. dominance and disrupt space-based assets.[ 00:26:20 ]

Mr. Mark J. Berkowitz, nominated for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, would be critical in developing policies to ensure resilient space systems fielded at a pace matching or exceeding adversaries.[ 00:27:19 ] He is also tasked with overseeing policy for the President's "Golden Dome" initiative, an effort to defend the homeland from advanced missile and drone threats. Senators also raised the importance of space launch resiliency and defending the department's access to critical electromagnetic spectrum bands. Mr. Berkowitz committed to supporting competition in Golden Dome projects and updating the Defense Space Strategy.

Science, Technology, and Innovation

Dr. Joseph S. Jewell, nominated for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology, is expected to help remove bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder technology transition into fielded weapons systems.[ 00:27:59 ]

He must also secure U.S. tech research from theft by adversaries and ensure the vitality of the department's scientific and engineering workforce, which faces potential budget cuts and reductions.[ 00:28:14 ] Dr. Jewell pledged to prioritize accelerating basic and applied research in critical areas like hypersonics, directed energy, and artificial intelligence, aligning investments with warfighter needs and ensuring timely delivery of breakthroughs. He highlighted the importance of robust university research and retaining STEM talent, and committed to advocating for investments in hypersonic defense technologies.[ 01:45:20-01:45:42 ]

Mission Capabilities and Modernization

Mr. James R. Caggy, nominated for the new role of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities, is tasked with integrating technology, concepts, and systems to meet joint warfighting demands more coherently and quickly. His office would coordinate experimentation campaigns to rapidly integrate innovative weapons into the joint force and bridge interoperability challenges across diverse weapon systems. Mr. Caggy outlined his priorities to accelerate prototyping and deliver new capabilities at speed, focusing on "speed with credibility" and removing bureaucratic roadblocks. He also plans to strengthen partnerships with the emerging defense tech sector to get promising technologies into the field faster.

Energy, Installations, and Environment

Mr. Brendan P. Rogers is nominated to oversee Navy facilities and implement crucial reforms, including a statutory requirement to maintain a 4% plant replacement value by 2030, which the committee emphasized must be enforced. A key focus for him will be ensuring safe and adequate housing for service members, both in privatized housing and unaccompanied barracks, and holding contractors accountable. Senators raised concerns about military construction (MilCon) delays and cost overruns, which Mr. Rogers committed to addressing through fiduciary responsibility and close management.[ 01:29:43-01:30:00 ]

[ 01:30:54-01:31:29 ] Other critical areas include supporting the Shipyard Optimization Program (SIOP), addressing sea level rise and other resiliency challenges at installations, managing PFAS remediation, and ensuring transparent closure of facilities like Red Hill in Hawaii. The potential for small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide energy independence for military installations was also discussed.[ 01:53:02-01:53:31 ]

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was largely serious and urgent, with speakers repeatedly underscoring the "dangerous" and "perilous" threat environment and the pressing need for rapid technological advancement and strategic readiness.[ 00:25:40 ]

Despite the gravity of the topics, there was a consistent theme of collaboration, with nominees emphasizing their commitment to working with Congress, industry, and academia, and senators stressing the importance of communication and oversight. A warm and supportive atmosphere was also evident, as nominees often introduced their families and personal motivations for public service, and senators extended their gratitude for their willingness to serve.[ 00:28:19-00:28:28 ] While generally supportive, senators were also inquisitive, posing probing questions about specific policy implementations and ongoing challenges.