Senior Pentagon official overseeing legislative affairs to fill in as Navy’s No. 2 civilian

WASHINGTON — Thomas Mancinelli, a senior official currently reponsible for legislative affairs at the Pentagon, has been tapped to perform the duties of the under secretary of the Navy starting next month when Erik Raven steps down, a spokersperson for Raven told Breaking Defense.

Mancinelli is currently the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs. His ascent to the under secretary’s job — at least temporarily — was triggered by Raven’s announcement earlier this month that he planned to leave the Pentagon in August. That decision was revealed at the time in a statement by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro who praised Raven’s contributions to the Navy, but did not elaborate on why the under had decided to step down or who would replace him.

When asked about the under secretary’s departure, the spokesperson for Raven, Capt. Courtney Hillson, told Breaking Defense, “He is leaving to pursue other opportunities and to also focus on family. Mr. Raven would like to thank the President, Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy, it has been an honor to serve and he is grateful for the opportunity.”

Prior to taking his current job at the Pentagon, Mancinelli was a national security advisor for Delaware Sen. Chris Coons (D), according to his Pentagon biography. He has also held positions at the State Department and twice deployed to Iraq as a Marine.

The under secretary position is a Senate-confirmed role, meaning it would usually be filled by a new nominee chosen by the president if the current under secretary resigns. However, given the short timeline until the next presidential election — and President Joe Biden’s recent announcement to not pursue a second term in office — it’s exceedingly unlikely the White House or Senate would push a new nominee through the process prior to January 2025.

Breaking Defense has requested comment from Mancinelli through the Pentagon.