Darin Selnick
Darin Selnick | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness | |
| In office January 20, 2025 – March 17, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Ashish Vazirani (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Jules W. Hurst III (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Residence | Oceanside, California[1] |
Darin Selnick is an American public official and Air Force veteran who served in high-ranking roles at the Pentagon until his suspension on April 15, 2025.
Early life, education, and military service
[edit]Selnick served in the U.S. Air Force from 1985-1992, attaining the rank of Captain.[2] During Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he served at Falcon Air Force Base as part of the 1022d Combat Crew Training Squadron.[3]
Career
[edit]From 2001 to 2009, Selnick was an appointee at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Selnick was appointed the Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for the Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2004.[4][5] He also served as VA liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, Special Assistant to the Secretary, and Associate Dean, VA Learning University.[6][7]
Selnick was a Commissioner on the Commission on Care, which was established by Congress to examine how VA can better deliver health care to veterans.[6]
From 2017 to 2018, Selnick worked as the Veterans Affairs Advisor on the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. From 2018 to 2019, he served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).[8] During his tenure with the VA, Selnick came under scrutiny for incurring travel costs to Washington, DC while living in California.[9]
Selnick was a senior adviser to Concerned Veterans of America from 2019 to 2024.[10][11] He has contributed opinion pieces to several media outlets, including Fox News and The Hill.[12][13]
In January 2025, Selnick was named Senior Advisor to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.[14] After temporarily serving as Performing the Duties of (PTDO) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, he was named deputy chief of staff to the Secretary.[15][16]
In February 2025, Selnick sought to remove transgender people from the U.S. military, stating that "medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service."[17]
April 2025 suspension
[edit]On April 14, 2025, Selnick was suspended and placed on administrative leave.[18] At the time of his suspension, Reuters reported that Selnick was suspended as part of a Pentagon investigation into leaks of classified and sensitive information.[19] A senior DOD official confirmed that Selnick was placed on leave for "unauthorized disclosures."[11]
On April 19, 2025, Selnick released a joint statement with Dan Caldwell and Colin Carroll, who were also fired, calling attacks against them "baseless" and expressing their continued support for the Trump-Vance administration.[20] They also indicated that they had not been officially informed why they were fired.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Selnick is married and lives in California.[22] He identifies as Jewish.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AQURCSSWP/
- ^ "Darin Selnick".
- ^ "Darin Selnick". National Museum of American Jewish Military History. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Archive: White House Office of Faith - Based and Community Initiatives and the Agency Centers" (PDF).
- ^ "VA Opens Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives - VA News". news.va.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "Darin Selnick Biography" (PDF).
- ^ a b "10th Annual Texas Veterans Higher Education Symposium" (PDF). October 2018.
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac (March 12, 2018). "The Trump Administration's Campaign to Weaken Civil Service Ramps Up at the VA". ProPublica. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac (February 20, 2019). "The VA is paying for a top official's cross-country commute". Salon. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "VA have gone 'totally woke': Darin Selnick | Fox News Video". Fox News. March 10, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "Third Pentagon official implicated in DoD leak probe". The American Legion. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Kamala Harris wants to be commander in chief. Here's what's on her (short) resume". August 19, 2024.
- ^ "undefined". Fox News. April 20, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "New Officials Sworn-in at the Department of Defense". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on March 17, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Darin Selnick". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ Vincent, Brandi (March 5, 2025). "DOD releases new guidance on 'situational telework'". DefenseScoop. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Transgender troops are now being identified for removal under Pentagon orders". AP News. February 27, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ Andrea Margolis, Jennifer Griffin (April 15, 2025). "Pentagon deputy chief of staff is second Hegseth advisor removed amid DOD leak probe". Fox News. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Pentagon leak probe expands as two more officials put on leave". Reuters. April 16, 2025.
- ^ Limon, Elvia (April 19, 2025). "Three fired Pentagon officials say they've been 'slandered' by 'baseless attacks' from 'unnamed' officials".
- ^ "'Unconscionable': 3 former Pentagon officials say they don't know why they were fired". POLITICO. April 19, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac (February 20, 2019). "The VA is paying for a top official's cross-country commute". Salon. Retrieved April 20, 2025.