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Friday, March 21, 2025

Retired Captain Hung Cao Nominated for Under Secretary of the Navy

Retired Navy Captain Hung Cao has been officially nominated for the position of Under Secretary of the Navy by President Donald Trump. An official Trump administration X account shared a Truth Social post from the president announcing Cao’s nomination.

Cao served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years before retiring as a captain. His career included combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. His non-combat assignments involved managing the Navy’s $140 billion budget at the Pentagon and collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Following his retirement from active duty, Cao ran as the Republican candidate for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District in 2022 but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Jennifer Wexton. He also challenged Senator Tim Kaine in the 2024 U.S. Senate election but lost. During his Senate campaign, he spoke about military recruitment challenges, criticizing the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

Born in South Vietnam, Cao and his family fled the country in 1975, eventually resettling in Virginia. He was part of the inaugural graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, commissioning as a Special Operations Officer specializing in Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Deep Sea Diving. He also holds a master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and has completed fellowships at both MIT and Harvard University.

Kalyna White
Kalyna White
Kalyna White assists with events and in the onboarding of new members to the Coalition. She also writes for, and assists with various editorial duties at Homeland Security Today. Prior to re-joining GTSC, Kalyna interned for InfraGard of the National Capital Area where she assisted with the development of the National Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience Month website, programming, and content. She also interviewed Critical Infrastructure Sector leaders for the website and developed marketing and social media campaigns to engage stakeholders. Kalyna graduated with a B.A. in Political Science, minoring in Middle Eastern Studies and English Literature from U.C. San Diego in 2022. While at U.C.S.D. she was the chapter president of Pi Beta Phi Sorority, and Panhellenic President. She is also the founder and president of LABUkraine, a non-profit organization building computer labs in Ukraine. She is an experienced Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the government relations industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Government, Public Speaking, International Relations, and Writing. She also brings to GTSC, extensive experience gained from the National Student Leadership Conference – Intelligence & National Security and positions of leadership at the Madeira School. She has also interned for Senator John McCain providing general staff assistance including answering phones, responding to constituents, and leading tours of the U.S. Capitol. Additionally, she interned for MXM Consulting and assisted with planning and execution of an annual “Hill Day” visit by corporate members of a non-profit association to Capitol Hill to visit numerous legislators relevant to their interests. In 2016 she was a teacher’s assistant at Garfield Elementary school. Kalyna has also served as the Youth Ambassador to the Women in Homeland Security Board of Directors for 8 years.

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