Austin rolls back Trump-era policy on special ops
By LARA SELIGMAN
05/05/2021 01:50 PM EDT
Updated: 05/05/2021 02:07 PM EDT
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is partially reversing his predecessor’s last-minute decision to elevate the top civilian Pentagon official overseeing special operations matters, according to two defense officials and a memo obtained by POLITICO.
The policy shift is a mostly bureaucratic move within the department but continues the Biden administration’s broader push to undo Trump-era policies at the Pentagon. Most recently, President Joe Biden canceled all construction projects for former President Donald Trump’s southern border wall, which were paid for with money originally intended for military projects.
In November, acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller made the surprise decision to elevate the position, known as the assistant secretary for special operations/low-intensity conflict, to report directly to the defense secretary. After reviewing the change, Austin is moving the position back down to the Pentagon’s policy shop, but it will still retain a direct reporting line to him on administrative issues such as training, manning and equipping, according to two Pentagon officials who requested anonymity to discuss the topic ahead of an announcement.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/05/lloyd-austin-defense-special-ops-policy-485432
