JUST IN: Senior War Department Official Announces Resignation

The Pentagon announced Wednesday that Navy Secretary John C. Phelan has stepped down from his position effective immediately. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the departure but provided no reason for the decision. “Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately. On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy,” Parnell announced. He added that Undersecretary Hung Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy, effective immediately. The Secretary of the Navy serves as the civilian leader of the Department of the Navy, which includes the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. Phelan, a businessman and political donor with no prior