Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, announced earlier this week the selection of former Senator Jim Talent and Ambassador Eric Edelman for the Independent Panel to assess the DoD’s Quadrennial Defense Review.
McKeon said “Ambassador Edelman and Senator Talent are perfectly suited to serve on this panel and examine the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review. With tremendous respect from their peers and a wealth of experience in national security matters, I’m confident they will add value to the panel’s review process and provide Congress with recommendations that will help guide our thinking on the Quadrennial Defense Review. My hope is that the remaining panelists will be seated soon so the group can begin the arduous task of examining the Department of Defense’s rationale and process for completing the Quadrennial Defense Review.”
Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, 12 panel members for the review are appointed by the Secretary of Defense and eight are selected by the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
