In a move shaping the public face of the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is poised to appoint Patrick Ryder of the United States Air Force as the new Pentagon press secretary. This development was reported by a major US news outlet, which cited multiple sources familiar with the situation.
Officials indicate Ryder would continue to serve in the military in an active capacity for the foreseeable future. They also highlighted the sensitivity around having an active-duty officer communicate on political matters, noting that this is not a new contention within the defense establishment, where dual roles and public messaging have periodically overlapped with policy imperatives.
Ryder previously collaborated with Secretary Austin during his tenure at United States Central Command, where he served as a spokesperson from 2013 through 2016. His experience extends to a senior communications role with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he held the position of press secretary from 2017 to 2019, coordinating messages across the U.S. armed forces during critical periods.
Prior to this anticipated transition, John Kirby had been serving as the Pentagon’s spokesperson. Kirby came to that role after a stint as the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, where he guided the administration’s messaging on complex security matters.
Earlier in the year, the White House press office underwent changes as Jen Psaki stepped away from the role. Her successor, Karine Jean-Pierre, became the first African American woman to hold the position and brought with her a voice that reflected the diverse spectrum of the national audience and the LGBTQ community’s visibility in government communications.