Reporting For Duty

By Sebastian Sprenger / April 21, 2015 at 3:36 PM

Former U.S. Africa Command chief retired Gen. Carter Ham and Thomas Lamont, a former Army assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs, will be the chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Commission on the Future of the U.S. Army, the Defense Department has announced.

The two will lead a panel requested by Congress to carry out a "comprehensive study on the organizational structure" of the ground service, a DOD statement reads.

Some lawmakers have placed their last hope in the commission to intervene with the Army's so-called aviation restructure initiative, though the newly formed panel has yet to take a position on the reform plans. The group owes a report to lawmakers by early 2016.

Beside Ham and Lamont, also serving on the commission are retired Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler, retired Gen. Larry Ellis, former Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale, Kathleen Hicks of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former Army Reserve chief retired Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, and retired Gen. J. D. Thurman, who previously commanded U.S. Forces Korea.

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