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The head of the department of defence, Greg Moriarty<\/a>, will succeed Kevin Rudd as Australia\u2019s ambassador to the United States.<\/p>\n The prime minister, Anthony Albanese<\/a>, and foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced Moriarty\u2019s appointment to the role on Sunday. A former chief of staff to Malcolm Turnbull and former Australian envoy to Iran and Indonesia, he has led the defence department since 2017. He will take up the posting in Washington from April.<\/p>\n Moriarty was Australia\u2019s inaugural counter-terrorism coordinator and previously worked in US Central Command in the Gulf during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.<\/p>\n He represented Australia in Papua New Guinea, and as a negotiator of the peace monitoring group for Bougainville.<\/p>\n Rudd will finish in the role on 31 March.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n Albanese said Moriarty would represent Australia\u2019s interests with the Trump administration<\/a> with distinction, including as the Aukus nuclear submarine agreement is progressed.<\/p>\n He called Moriarty \u201can outstanding Australian public servant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe has served both Labor and Coalition governments and he\u2019s been of the secretary of the department of defence and the Aukus<\/a> deal is central to our relationship with the US,\u201d he told ABC TV.<\/p>\n \u201cI know Mr Moriarty very well. I have been impressed by the dignified way he handles himself, by the connections in the United States as well. I engaged broadly in discussions about who the right person was.\u201d<\/p>\n Albanese confirmed members of the Trump Administration had been consulted on the appointment.<\/p>\n