The appointment comes as the Secret Service has faced criticism over a breach at the White House complex. A man recently scaled a fence and roamed the White House grounds for nearly 17 minutes before he was arrested. The Secret Service last week restricted public access to the sidewalk along the White House's southern fence-line. Officials did not attribute that move to the most recent fence-jumper, although they said it could help prevent similar episodes in the future.

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Alles comes to the Secret Service as the agency is undergoing a review of security around the White House complex and is straining to respond to the logistical difficulties of protecting the Trump family. In addition to the president, who frequently flies between Washington and South Florida, the first lady and their 11-year-old son live at a private residence in New York, while Trump's grown adult children have business interests that take them around the world.

The Secret Service has asked for $60 million in additional funding for next year, nearly half of it to protect the Trump family's private home in New York, according to internal agency documents that The Washington Post reviewed.

“I applaud the Trump administration and Secretary Kelly for choosing someone from outside the agency who is well qualified to lead the Secret Service," Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement. "General Alles is being called upon to use all his command and managerial skills to address the cultural and operational issues currently facing the Service. I look forward to working with General Alles to help him succeed in his new role."

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Clancy guided the 151-year-old agency through that period and during the intense 2016 presidential campaign, and his decision to step aside allowed Trump to pick his own director.

William J. Callahan, a Secret Service veteran who has been acting director since Clancy stepped down, returned to his position as the agency's deputy director after Alles was named.

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Alles becomes the newest general — and the latest Marine — to serve in the Trump administration. Trump selected retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis to be his defense secretary, then asked retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly to take over the Department of Homeland Security.

The president had also named Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, as his national security adviser, but Flynn resigned this year after his potentially illegal contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States became public. To replace him, Trump named Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served as acting national security adviser until McMaster was picked, is the National Security Council's chief of staff.

The Secret Service director does not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

This story has been updated to include Johnson's comment.