Mark Esper, defense secretary and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has urged European allies to "wake up to the challenges presented by China” as the country continues to manipulate international order, CNN reported Saturday.

Mark Esper, secretary of defense and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, intends for the U.S. Navy to grow its fleet of ships, Defense News reported Feb. 9. Esper believes that the Navy should shift its focus to procuring ships that require minimal crew. 

Mark Esper, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2020 Wash100 award winner, said in a memo that the Pentagon’s $740B budget request for fiscal year 2021 would advance weapons modernization, support service members and strengthen alliances in support of the “irreversible implementation of the National Defense Strategy,” Military Times reported Tuesday.

Mark Esper, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said DoD has launched efforts to counter the threats posed by China and one of those is the creation of the Space Force as the sixth service branch, Army News Service reported Friday. 

Defense Secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award winner Mark Esper released a memo detailing his 2020 priorities, including reforming the operations of military departments to better address National Defense Strategy goals, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

Jen Stewart, minority staff director at the House Armed Services Committee, has been appointed as Defense Secretary Mark Esper's next chief of staff, Politico reported Monday. She will succeed Eric Chewning, who will leave his post at the Pentagon by the end of January to take a career opportunity in the private sector.

Defense Secretary and 2019 Wash100 award winner Mark Esper said approximately 4K U.S. troops have been placed on alert in response to recent actions by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The U.S. has facilitated airstrikes on five facilities in Iraq and Syria that were linked to an Iranian-backed militia, CNN reported Monday.

President Trump has authorized the establishment of the U.S. Space Force as the sixth service branch as stated in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Jimmy Stewart, the acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness at the Department of Defense, has left his post on Friday, Military Times reported Saturday. Matthew Donovan, undersecretary at the U.S. Air Force, will succeed Stewart in the acting administrator role.