Shuffle Hits Top Army and Air Force Jobs

Air Force Secretary James G. Roche resigned Tuesday and the Senate confirmed defense industry executive Francis J. Harvey as secretary of the Army, the service’s top civilian post.

The roll call vote on Harvey was 85 to 12, capping a series of moves that began when Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld fired Thomas White from the Army secretary job in May 2003 and asked Roche to give up his Air Force post to replace White.

Roche was nominated for the Army post, but got caught up in a series of controversies and conflicts with members of Congress over Air Force contracting decisions and other issues. He withdrew his nomination last spring, and remained as secretary of the Air Force.

Harvey, 59, was nominated two months ago, but his Senate confirmation vote was put off until after the Nov. 2 elections.

Harvey is vice chairman of Duratek Inc., a Maryland company that specializes in treating radioactive, hazardous and other wastes. Previously, he worked for Westinghouse Electric Corp. for nearly three decades and was president of Westinghouse’s defense and electronics systems group.

Harvey earned a doctorate in metallurgy and material sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of science at the University of Notre Dame in metallurgy engineering and material science.

Since White was fired last year, the Army’s No. 2 civilian official, Les Brownlee, had served as acting Army secretary.

Roche was widely expected to leave the Air Force before President Bush began a second term.

In a brief statement, the Pentagon said Roche had informed Rumsfeld in early October “of his intention to complete his service at the end of the first Bush administration.”

The statement gave no more specific reason for Roche’s departure. Roche, a former executive at Northrop Grumman Corp., issued a brief statement but did not say why he decided to leave.

There was no immediate word on a likely successor. The Pentagon said Roche planned to leave Jan. 20, 2005, or sooner.

Separately, the White House withdrew the nomination of Lawrence Di Rita to be assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, to replace Victoria Clarke, who resigned for personal reasons in June 2003.