McHugh Stepping Down

By Sebastian Sprenger / June 8, 2015 at 11:38 AM

Army Secretary John McHugh has decided to step down, planning to leave office no later than Nov. 1, the Pentagon announced today. The impending departure means the ground service will see a transition in both its civilian and uniformed top jobs over the next few months. Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno's term expires in September; a proposed successor for him is already lined up.

Both leaders won't be around for the end game of the congressionally mandated Commission on the Future of the U.S. Army, which began its work last month and owes a report to Congress by next February. The panel is wading deeply into the controversial subject of the division of labor between the active component and the reserves.

McHugh and Odierno testified before the commission last month in a closed-door meeting, Inside the Army reports today.

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