President Donald Trump is moving to install Jules “Jay” Hurst III as the Pentagon’s permanent chief financial officer, a role Hurst has filled on an acting basis since last August, according to a formal notification sent to Congress on Wednesday.
Hurst, a former Army officer and four-time Afghanistan deployer, has been steering the Defense Department’s sprawling $1.5 trillion budget request—a figure that includes $350 billion tucked into a reconciliation package. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the administration’s first Senate-confirmed Pentagon comptroller since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Before stepping into the comptroller’s office, Hurst served as assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs and later as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. His background also includes a stint as legislative director and defense advisor to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), giving him deep ties to Capitol Hill.
In his acting role, Hurst has already faced lawmakers directly. During a recent House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, he disclosed that the U.S. war with Iran has cost nearly $29 billion—up from $25 billion in April. “That’s because of updated repair and replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs keep people in theater,” Hurst told the panel. That figure does not include repairs to damaged air bases in the Middle East, which remain unreimbursed.
The Pentagon’s mounting expenses in the Iran conflict have drawn scrutiny, especially as the administration pushes for a $1.78 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that would require congressional approval. The comptroller’s office will play a central role in tracking and justifying those costs.
Hurst’s nomination comes as the Pentagon also grapples with the loss of 42 aircraft in the Iran theater, a toll that continues to drive up replacement and maintenance costs. His confirmation would give the Defense Department a Senate-confirmed budget chief at a time when the military’s financial demands are colliding with broader fiscal debates on Capitol Hill.
The White House has signaled that Hurst’s experience managing the Pentagon’s massive budget—and his ability to articulate costs to lawmakers—makes him a key figure in the administration’s defense agenda. His nomination now heads to the Senate Armed Services Committee for consideration.
