By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 12, 2009 - Just like any other federal employee, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III had to in-process through personnel and take the oath of office before starting work this morning, Pentagon officials said. The Senate confirmed Lynn by a vote of 93-4 yesterday. As deputy secretary he will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the department.
Lynn served as the Defense Department's comptroller during the Clinton administration.
The deputy secretary joins three other officials in President Barack Obama's administration who have begun serving in Pentagon posts: Robert Hale, comptroller; Michele Flournoy, undersecretary for policy; and Jeh Charles Johnson as general counsel. The Senate confirmed all three Feb. 9, and they began work the next day, Pentagon officials said.
After leaving the Clinton administration in 2001, Lynn was a senior vice president at the Raytheon Company. Because he served as a lobbyist for the defense contractor, Lynn required a waiver from Obama before being considered as deputy secretary. Concerns about this delayed his confirmation.
Lynn will recuse himself from any Defense Department decisions pertaining to Raytheon, the fifth-largest company doing business with the department with around $12 billion in contracts.
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