Former State Rep. Juan Garcia (D-Corpus Christi) has been nominated by President Obama to be the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Garcia, who served in the Texas House one term before being defeated, is no stranger to Obama.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times has more:

President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced his intention to nominate Corpus Christi attorney and former state representative Juan Garcia for Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Garcia needs to be confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the full Senate before assuming the position.

The White House issued a news release Wednesday evening announcing Garcia’s nomination for the assistant secretary overseeing manpower and reserve affairs. Garcia, 42, declined to comment, referring all comments to the White House communications office.

Twenty-six senators, including ranking member John McCain, R-Arizona, comprise the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by Carl Levin, D-Michigan. A confirmation hearing has not been scheduled.

Garcia, if confirmed, would oversee the office responsible for the recruiting, development and retaining of Navy and Marine Corps personnel. According to the Navy, the assistant secretary develops human resources policies and programs, advises senior Navy leaders on the implications of policy decisions affecting personnel, evaluates and analyzes the impact of policy and delivery of programs, and judges personnel decisions on behalf of the Navy Secretary.

The Navy has about 330,000 naval personnel, 202,000 Marines and a civilian workforce.

Garcia served on active duty as a naval aviator from 1992 to 2004, joining the reserves shortly thereafter. He currently commands Naval Reserve Training Squadron 28 at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.

It is unclear if he will continue that command.

He attended Harvard Law School with Obama and earned a law degree in 1992. In 1992, he also earned a master’s degree in public policy from John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Garcia is with the Corpus Christi law firm of Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer and Kern. He is married and has four children- twin boys, 11; a daughter, 8; and a son, 5.