Secretary Kendall didn’t waver in his message, but Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville makes the job of deterring that war and being ready to win harder. Senator Tuberville is single-handedly taking advantage of Senate rules to hold up the promotions of almost 400 senior military officers.
Of those 400, at least eight have connections to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. These men and women are stationed at Wright-Patterson, or would move to the base if their promotions are confirmed by the Senate. The three-star general who would command the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) is caught in this net of “holds” as well as the one-star general who commands the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Both organizations are headquartered at Wright-Patterson and critical to the Air Force mission.
In some cases, the holds mean less experienced officers fill critical top-level positions. In other cases, officers must perform multiple jobs to cover vacancies that are not allowed to be filled. This affects the Air Force Reserves particularly hard because a colonel cannot be placed in a general billet.
Ther ripple effect from these holds impacts more junior officers because they are unable to move up into their new positions. Senior officers can’t vacate their current potions until the Senate confirms their promotions, blocking advancement down the chain of command. These stalled out junior officers aren’t even counted among the officer promotions on hold.
The instability hurts our readiness and military preparedness, but also takes an increasingly brutal toll on military families. In many cases, families don’t know where they are going to live or where to send their children to school. Military spouses can’t search for new jobs if they don’t know where they will live or when they will move.
These factors contribute to lowering morale, reduce mission readiness, and push some experienced officers to retire. It’s an entirely unforced error.
The result only encourages our military adversaries. China, Russia, and others are undoubtedly gleeful at the sight of America’s own Senate hamstringing our nation’s military leadership.
“I would have never imagined one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communist and other autocratic regimes around the world,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who was born in communist Cuba.
“If you drive north of the National Cathedral on Connecticut Avenue, that popping sound you hear is not stray gunfire. It is champagne corks at the Chinese embassy bouncing off the walls,” Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly said about the effects of the promotion blockade.
It affects senior leaders at Wright-Patterson who handle acquisition of major weapons systems, science and technology research, digital transformation, and other missions. These are absolutely critical Air Force operations.
Holding up the promotions of our military’s top leaders cuts into our ability to deter and, if necessary, fight the war Secretary Kendall warned us about. It increases risk at a time when our military must be laser focused on very real military threats to our nation.
Senator Tuberville’s true hostages are the American people and our national security. The holds must end so military leaders can focus on keeping America safe.
Jeff Hoagland is President and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition, the regional economic development organization that advocates for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Springfield Air National Guard. He is a member of the Civic Leader Program of the Air & Space Force.
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