U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Friday that Rear Admiral John Kirby will serve as the next chief Pentagon spokesman and principal spokesman for the defense secretary. "Rear Admiral Kirby, who currently serves as the U.S. Navy's chief of information, has long been a trusted voice for the Department of Defense (DoD) and is one of its leading public affairs officers," Hagel said in a statement. "He previously served as one of DoD's top spokesmen under Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and as chief spokesman and public affairs advisor to Admiral Mike Mullen throughout his tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Hagel said.