The US Army chief of staff promoted eight Army general officers on Thursday, marking nearly the end of the monthslong delay of general officer promotions and confirmations due to a hold by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
The ceremony on Thursday was held during an annual professional forum for Army general officers in McLean, Virginia. Addressing the crowded hotel ballroom full of seated general officers and their command sergeants major, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said the day was “long overdue.”
“I think it’s fair to say that the last several months have been quite hard and very frustrating for all of you and your families, and all of us who have seen what’s been happening really for almost a year now,” Wormuth told the group. “But you all, as always, have been incredibly professional and I want to thank you for your professionalism and how you conducted yourselves through this very difficult time.”
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George also recognized and thanked those who have “put their lives on hold” and done “a whole bunch of unnatural things over the last nine months.”
“We talk about duty and selfless services – we just want to tell you how much we appreciate that,” he said.
The promotion comes just days after Tuberville dropped his blanket hold on military general and flag officers, done in protest of the Pentagon’s new reproductive health policies, which included a travel allowance for service members who had to travel across state lines to receive an abortion due to their home state’s laws. Now, 12 four-star generals’ nominations remain pending in the Senate.
The eight officers who were promoted Thursday – wearing civilian business attire, as is typical for the forum, as opposed to their uniforms – included now- Lt. Gen. Heidi Hoyle; Maj. Gen. Ron Ragin; Maj. Gen. Curt Taylor; Maj. Gen. Pat Work; Maj. Gen. William Green; Maj. Gen. Mary Izaguirre; Brig. Gen. Scott Woodward; and Maj. Gen. Denise Brown.
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