Secretary McHugh has been in discussions both with the secretary of defense and the deputy secretary of defense, and expressed his desire several weeks ago to depart as secretary of the Army. Mr. McHugh has since notified the president that he plans to leave office no later than Nov. 1, 2015, which he hopes will afford ample opportunity for a smooth transition. Mr. McHugh expressed his gratitude to the president and his appreciation to the secretary of defense and, most importantly, the men and women of the United States Army for the tremendous honor to serve as Secretary for these many years.
"Secretary McHugh has been a tremendous public servant for decades, and he has helped lead the Army through a period of challenge and change," said Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. "There will be much time in the coming months to appropriately celebrate his many accomplishments, but for now I will just say that every soldier is better off because of his hard work and vision, and so is the country."