Two of the eight seats on the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff are occupied by temporary commanders for the first time in US history after an 8-month-long block on military promotions imposed by Senator Tommy Tubberville.

In response to the Pentagon's new policy of reimbursing troops who travel in pursuit of abortion, the Republican Senator slapped a procedural hold on all senior military nominees.

A polarizing provision targeted the issue of abortion as Republican representatives introduced a provision that would ban the Department of Defense from paying for travel fees for military members who need to cross state borders to have an abortion.

Outgoing Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville departed on Friday, turning over command of the army to his deputy, Gen. Randy George. With no end in sight to the block, the Army has joined the Marine Corps as the second military branch without a uniformed head capable of acting with the full authority of Senate approval.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the changeover ceremony expressed that “the failure to confirm our superbly qualified senior uniformed leaders undermines our military readiness" and "retention of some of our very best officers. And it is upending the lives of far too many of their spouses, children, and loved ones.”

A national security issue

As of Friday, there were 301 top military leaders in Tuberville's grip, ranging from the nominees to lead the Army, Marines, and Navy to the next chair of the Joint Chiefs. The block also stalls leadership changes for the 5th and 7th fleets, which oversee naval operations in the Middle East and Pacific, as well as the future heads of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Air Force's Air Combat leadership.

Austin previously called the block a "national security issue."

Only once in the 120-year history of the Army chief of staff office has a general served without Senate confirmation, during a three-month period in 1972.

Austin expressed that amid dangerous times currently, the "security of the US demands orderly and prompt transitions of our confirmed military leaders.”

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth expressed that “we need the Senate to act, not only on [George’s] nomination but also on the over 300 other general and flag officers across the armed services, whose careers and lives are now in limbo because of this unprecedented hold."

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“We need to end all of this uncertainty for our military families,” the Secretary asserted.

George, who has also been nominated by President Joe Biden to succeed McConville will be obliged to serve as a stand-in until all parties can reach an agreement. That procedure cannot be restarted until the Senate reconvenes in September.

The Marine Corps is currently operating under the interim command of Gen. Eric Smith, the service's No. 2 commander, who was chosen to succeed Commandant Gen. David Berger, who retired in July, forcing him to undertake both tasks. 

During the handover ceremony in July, Berger expressed that “it’s been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate-confirmed commandant,” adding that “smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States.”

Adm. Mike Gilday, the current Chief of Naval Operations, will leave leadership in the coming days, giving over to Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the deputy chief of naval operations.

Tuberville and Austin have discussed the hold multiple times, but he has also expressed disappointment that Biden has yet to contact him to discuss the problem. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that it is the responsibility of Republicans to pull him into line.

Because of the Senator's procedural delays, senior officers across the military are unable to relocate their families to their new positions, and in many cases are missing out on the salary raises that come with promotions.

Confidence in US military at 60%, lowest since 1997

A Gallup poll that took place from June 1 to June 22 showed that confidence in the US military was recorded at 60%, the lowest it has been since 1997, and it was lower at 58% in 1988.

Due to the failure to reach its recruitment target, the #US military tried something different, enlisting students into their J.R.O.T.C. military program without their permission. pic.twitter.com/f4OgW4gpO7

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 17, 2022

During the Cold War and threats to US power from the late 1970s to the 1980s, between 50% and 58% of Americans were confident in the military, and it generally improved during former US president Ronald Reagan’s term in the 1980s.

For the past 48 years, Republicans have shown to represent those with the most confidence in the military, but that number has declined by over 20 percentage points in three years, from 91% to 68%.

The decline is attributed, according to Gallup, to the failure of the two most significant military legacies of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US - the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

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