Reince Priebus officially joined the U.S. Navy as a reserve officer on Monday.
Priebus, who served as White House chief of staff at the start of President Donald Trump’s administration and as the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, was commissioned as an entry-level ensign at a ceremony led by Vice President Mike Pence.
Priebus, 47, resigned from his White House role in July 2017 after little more than six months on the job. He was replaced by John Kelly, who himself left at the end of 2018. Mick Mulvaney is the current acting chief of staff.
Monday’s ceremony was the culmination of a months-long process which began when former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis recommended Priebus for the position, The Washington Post reported.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc.) were in attendance and congratulated Priebus via Twitter:
As did former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who is also a reserve officer in the Navy:
Priebus was inspired to join after Trump met with the family of Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens, a Navy SEAL who was killed in a botched covert mission in Yemen in January 2017, The Post reported last year. He also cited his sister’s position as a Navy doctor in his application.