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The current hold on Senate confirmations for general and flag officers could potentially leave about 650 crucial leadership positions unoccupied by the end of the year, warns the deputy Pentagon press secretary during a recent press briefing.
Substituting confirmed leaders with part-time personnel already appointed to other roles might be the necessary fallback, according to the deputy press secretary, Singh. The Senate delay is already impacting the smooth transition of military leadership, with a staggering number of up to 265 general and flag officer nominations on hold.
Case in point, this morning saw Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger ceding his position as the 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps to Gen. Eric M. Smith. Smith will serve in an acting capacity, maintaining his current assistant commandant role until confirmation. This event marks the first instance of an acting commandant since the tenure of Col. William Biddle in 1910-1911.
In a ceremony at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the significance of smooth leadership transitions within the U.S. military. He stressed that such transitions are crucial to the U.S defense, military readiness, and maintaining the potent force the U.S military has come to represent.
Singh further expressed her concerns over the sustained hold on confirmations, warning of an impending knowledge and expertise void in critical positions, potentially impacting the readiness of the force.
“As the secretary said in his speech today, smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are critical to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history,” Singh said. “Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of alliances and partners; they are crucial for our military readiness.”
The coming week will see Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Army Gen. Randy A. George appearing before the Senate for their nomination hearings for chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army Chief of Staff position, respectively.
The lingering delay in confirming leadership roles, Singh notes, may result in some officers having to postpone retirement or undertake higher responsibility roles without associated promotion or pay.
“This is going to have a huge impact across the force,” says Singh. Furthermore, she emphasized the impact on the officers’ families, citing examples of disrupted school enrollment and employment plans due to uncertainty caused by confirmation delays.
The hold-up in Senate confirmations has created ripples not only within the ranks of our military but also within their families, bringing about a pressing need for resolution.
Source: Dept. of Defense
