Esper, Mark Thomas, 1964–, U.S. army officer and government official, b. Uniontown, Pa., B.S West Point, 1986; M.P.A. Harvard, 1995, Ph.D. George Washington Univ., 2008. Rising to the rank of lieutentant colonel, he served in the U.S. army, the national guard, and the army reserve (1986–2007), including duty (1990–91) in the First Persian Gulf War. Esper also headed the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank (1996–98); was executive vice president of the Aerospace Industries Association (2006–7); and vice president for government relations at the Raytheon Company (2010–17). Under President Donald Trump, Esper was secretary of the army (2017–19) and secretary of defense (2019–20). Differences with the White House over the use of the armed forces against civilian demonstrators, which Esper opposed, contributed to his firing as defense secretary.
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