In early April, after Pete Hegseth returned from a trip to Panama, the last person to step off the plane before the defense secretary himself was a colonel wearing slacks and a pullover.

This was Ricky Buria, Hegseth’s junior military assistant and one of the only holdovers from the last secretary’s team.

Buria, who has sharp black hair with a gray streak in the front, has gained unique status in the last three months — not only in the secretary’s inner circle but perhaps the entire Pentagon. He was appointed under the last administration but has rapidly gained Hegseth’s trust, and with it newfound power.

Last week, Buria resigned his post in the Marine Corps and is now transitioning into a new role as one of Hegseth’s senior civilian advisors. Multiple sources who spoke for this story said he’s being considered for a higher position, potentially even chief of staff...

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