Army Futures Command HQ decision expected mid-July

The Army now plans to announce its decision on the location of Futures Command in the next few weeks, as its previous end-of-June deadline has passed.

AFC task force spokesman Col. Pat Seiber said July 2 Under Secretary Ryan McCarthy and task force chief Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley have completed their visits to each of the top five locations -- Boston, Raleigh, Austin, Philadelphia and Minneapolis.

Wesley replaced Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville on the visits due to a conflict of interest.

The original deadline did not account for the two officials visiting all five cities, causing the original date for the decision to be pushed, Seiber said. Other senior leaders also have the option to visit one or more of the cities before making their final selection.

Army Secretary Mark Esper told Inside Defense June 28, "The key thing, again, is . . . [that] the talent is there that we both can tap into, for their ideas, and that we can hire."

The service still plans for AFC to have initial operational capability this month.