Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Feb. 1 announced the ouster of hundreds of members of the Pentagon’s advisory boards, in a sweeping move that affects a series of last-minute appointees by the Trump administration, according to a Department of Defense (DOD) memo.
Austin wrote in a memo (pdf) on Jan. 30 that all members of 31 Pentagon advisory boards would be fired, effective Feb. 16. Additionally, a total of 40 advisory boards listed in the memo are to be subjected to a “zero-based review,” which will involve an “in-depth business case of every sponsored advisory committee, supported by fact-based evidence for [its] continued utilization,” a process that could lead to their future dissolution and dismissal of members.
