Nominations for National Guard leaders languish, triggering concerns as top officers retire

WASHINGTON — The National Guard Bureau’s top four officers have either left or are set to retire in about two weeks. So far, the Senate has not confirmed any nominations for their successors. That leaves the bureau, the Air Guard and the Army Guard without permanent leadership as they head into a busy hurricane season and a potentially challenging election cycle.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the Guard Bureau, is retiring in early August, and Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, who was vice chief, has already retired. Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, who is chief of the Army Guard but has served as acting vice chief, is also retiring in early August.

The lack of progress on the nominations has become a source of concern for the agency, which oversees the training and supervision of Guard and Reserve forces deployed on federal duty for overseas combat and homeland protection. The Guard chief is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and serves as a key liaison to the adjutant generals who command state guard units throughout the country and its territories.

As an example, we can mention the Guard troops from a number of states. were called to Washington, DC to secure the city after rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2020. They also routinely respond to hurricanes, fires and other disasters as part of their active state service, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With retirements approaching, the National Guard Association of the United States sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, president of the association, said Friday they were “shocked and disappointed by the process” and that the White House did not receive any Senate nominations.

He said that with the busy months ahead, having other officers temporarily serve in acting positions is not as effective as having a confirmed leader in the job. In some cases, he said, they do not have the same authority as those who are confirmed.

“A key part of having our chief in the Joint Chiefs is that direct line to the secretary of defense. And that’s one of the benefits of having him in that room and in those discussions,” McGinn said.

The administration, he said, has known for years that all four leaders — the chief, vice chief, Air Guard director and Army Guard director — would retire this summer. The prospect has forced the agency to juggle people to fill the positions as nominations languish.

In March, the nomination of Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak to become the next Air Guard director was sent to the Senate to replace Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh. Early last month, Loh retired and Pirak served as acting director.

Just last week, the Senate received the nomination of Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, currently adjutant general in Arkansas, to be the next director of the Army Guard, replacing Jensen.

There are no hearings or votes scheduled for Stubbs or Pirak.

Meanwhile, the nominations for the two top positions, chief and deputy chief of the Guard, have not yet left the White House.

“Delays in the confirmation process could create leadership gaps, disrupting operational continuity and potentially compromising our military’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to emerging threats,” McGinn wrote in the letter to the committee’s chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, and the top Republican, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

The Pentagon has recommended Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven Nordhaus as the next chief, and Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Jarrard as the vice chief, officials said. But their names have not been sent to the Senate. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel moves.

Nordhaus currently serves as commander of the 1st Air Force and the Continental Americas Region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which provides and controls airspace surveillance and operations for the United States.

Jarrard was the Guard Bureau’s director of operations.

Officials said that if Pirak is confirmed in the next week or two, he would likely serve as acting chief.