Ricky Buria

Biden-era officials say they were flabbergasted when Ricky Buria, a respected officer who worked closely with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, abruptly set aside a promising future in uniform to retire from the military and assume a political position as a senior adviser to Pete Hegseth. Some Republicans loyal to the President Trump have sought to block the elevation of Buria, whom officials say Hegseth has openly considered for his next chief of staff following a purge of top aides. Buria, an MV-22 pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has emerged as a top contender for one of the Pentagon’s most powerful jobs only months after being named as Austin’s junior military aide. When Hegseth arrived at the Pentagon in January, Buria quickly became close with the former Fox News host and his wife, Jennifer.