WASHINGTON -- As Pentagon officials struggle to fill key posts in the new administration, one senator wants to know when they will name someone for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency director post that has been vacant almost nine months.
"The need for permanent leadership is essential," wrote Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., in a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis this week. "A permanent director ensures that (the agency) continues to make sustained progress.
"The longer this position remains vacant, the greater the potential for the agency to backslide on its hard-won accomplishments."
The agency, established four years ago, oversees a host of different department efforts to recover the remains of fallen servicemembers. McCaskill was one of the key lawmakers behind efforts to streamline operations and the chain of command for the work, after a series of scandals concerning office mismanagement and infighting.
She said in the letter she is pleased with progress in the last few years, but in a statement said that a timeline for a new permanent director is critical to continuing that work.
"Families and loved ones of service members deserve an agency with strong leadership that is making best efforts to provide information about the recovery of our missing servicemembers," she said.
Dozens of key posts at the Pentagon remain unfilled a month into Donald Trump’s presidency. Mattis was sworn in just hours after Trump’s inauguration, but none of the service secretaries have had confirmation hearings before the Senate yet.
Last month, DPAA officials informed lawmakers that the new director search was still underway, but that some hiring actions in the agency were on hold due to a hiring federal freeze put in place by Trump in January.
A Defense News report this week found that 75 percent of political appointee jobs inside the Department of Defense remain vacant, leaving a host of temporary office heads and lingering questions about future policy plans.
On Thursday, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said he’s worried the slow pace of getting those posts filled could hurt department budgeting plans, especially since many of the temporary leaders in the Pentagon were hired or appointed by previous administrations.
McCaskill said she wants a new update on the hiring process by March 10. Follow @LeoShane
Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
