Nomination hearings slated for National Guard chief and COVID-19 vaccine official

The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to hold a June 18 hearing to consider nominations for a new National Guard chief and to reappoint a four-star general so he can help run the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine initiative.

Lt. Gen. Daniel Hokanson has been nominated to become chief of the National Guard Bureau, while Gen. Gustave Perna, the head of Army Materiel Command, has been selected for reappointment to the grade of general so he can become chief operating officer of "Operation Warp Speed."

Both nominees, if confirmed, are likely to face near-term challenges in their respective roles. The National Guard has come under scrutiny over the role it played in quelling mass demonstrations, while COVID-19 cases appear on the upswing in many states.