Navy secretary racks up 930,000 miles on trips

Always on the go

Navy secretary racks up 930K miles on trips

WASHINGTON — The Navy secretary has spent more than a full year of his five-year tenure on overseas travel, racking up more than 930,000 miles on trips that cost taxpayers more than $4.7 million.

Ray Mabus, the former Mississippi governor, has taken at least 40 trips outside the United States as of July 2014, meeting officials and visiting sailors and Marines in more than 100 countries, according to data obtained and compiled by the Associated Press — travel he said is critical to his job in furthering U.S. and Navy interests abroad.

The inspector general investigated after receiving a complaint about his travel and cleared him of any wrongdoing, Mabus said, but his 373 days on the road contrast with those of Army Secretary John McHugh, who took fewer than half the trips at less than half the cost over the same time period.

The travel costs come amid deep budget cuts across the Defense Department, including widespread efforts to slash headquarters spending, downsize the Army and Marine Corps, and cut back on acquisition programs, training and other costs.

Associated Press