WASHINGTON — President Obama made it official Monday that he'll nominate retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert A. Harding for the post. The president's earlier pick, Erroll Southers, withdrew after a Republican hold on his nomination over unionization concerns, and renewed questions about the accuracy of a portion of his confirmation testimony.
Harding had 33 years of Army service, is a former director for operations of the Defense Intelligence Agency and has experience coordinating with multiple federal agencies including those handling customs, intelligence and drug enforcement. Last year, he sold Harding Security Associates, a private company he founded in 2003, after his Army retirement. The company’s clients included U.S. government agencies.
The president said in a statement that “I can think of no one more qualified than Bob to take on this important job.”