New Pentagon personnel chief tapped

Peter Levine, an attorney who serves as Defense Secretary Ash Carter's senior adviser on business transformation, has been named to succeed the embattled Brad Carson as the Pentagon’s top personnel official, sources said.

He will take over as acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness when Carson leaves April 8, according to an email Carson sent to his staff, a copy of which was obtained by Military Times. Confirmation was not immediately available from defense officials.

Levine is currently the deputy chief management officer at the Pentagon, receiving Senate confirmation for the post in May 2015. In that role, he heads DoD’s efforts to streamline business process and find efficiencies in management, headquarters and overhead functions. He has been also been leading the effort to find taxpayer savings in DoD’s resale operations, including commissaries and exchanges.

Prior to arriving at the Pentagon, Levin served on the staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee for nearly 19 years. He provided legal advice on legislation and nominations, and advised members of the committee on DoD acquisition policy, civilian personnel policy and defense management issues.
Carson, who has been acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness since April 2015, resigned earlier this month. His chances of Senate approval for the job appeared slim following a confirmation hearing in February in which senators accused him of presuming confirmation and violating a once rarely enforced law that bars new appointees from serving in high-level positions while awaiting the Senate approval.
Perhaps more problematic has been the controversy surrounding Carson's work on the Pentagon’s Force of the Future initiative, aimed at updating the military’s personnel system to better compete with civilian business benefits. Republican senators savaged that plan, and it has faced opposition by some in the Pentagon as well.

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