Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin OKs 16 DOD Advisory Committees to Restart Operations

Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, has approved 16 advisory boards to resume operations after considering some recommendations of a zero-based review of all advisory committees within DOD, Defense News reported Friday.

In February, Austin ordered the immediate suspension of all 42 advisory boards to pave the way for the review to better align the efforts of such committees with the National Defense Strategy and other critical strategic priorities.

John Kirby, press secretary for the Pentagon, announced Austin’s move during a press briefing held Thursday.

“The recommendations for other boards are still under consideration, and we will announce the results for more advisory committees in coming weeks,” Kirby told reporters Thursday.

The advisory boards to be reinstated are the:

Army Science Board
Board on Coastal Engineering Research
Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces
Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services
Defense Business Board
Defense Health Board
Defense Policy Board
Defense Science Board
Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board
DoD Board of Actuaries
DoD Wage Committee
Inland Waterways Users Board
Marine Corps University Board of Visitors
Medicare-Eligible Board of Advisors
U.S. Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group
Uniform Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel