<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr">Courtesy of the <i>Military Times</i> at:<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/27/after-senate-snafu-christine-wormuth-confirmed-first-woman-lead-army.html?ESRC=eb_210528.nl">https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/27/after-senate-snafu-christine-wormuth-confirmed-first-woman-lead-army.html?ESRC=eb_210528.nl</a></div><div><br></div><div>—————————————————</div><div><br></div><div><h1 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.25em; color: rgb(41, 43, 44); caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span property="schema:name" style="box-sizing: inherit;">After Senate Snafu, Christine Wormuth Confirmed as the First Woman to Lead the Army</span></h1></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Christine Wormuth was once again confirmed as <a href="http://www.military.com/army"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">Army</span></a> secretary Thursday morning after the Senate <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/27/senate-revokes-confirmation-of-first-female-army-secretary-over-apparent-procedural-issue.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">revoked her confirmation</span></a> Wednesday night over an apparent procedural snafu that was quickly resolved. She is the first woman to hold the position.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Wormuth's confirmation appeared to wrap up Wednesday night when Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., got unanimous consent to put her in the Army's top civilian position.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">But about two hours later, after the Senate had announced the confirmation via Twitter, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., revoked it. It is not clear why Wormuth's confirmation was rescinded for about 10 hours; Schumer's office did not respond to a request for comment.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The reversal appeared to be due to a procedural snag that was quickly resolved. Wormuth's nomination was noncontroversial, and she breezed through her confirmation hearing with little pushback from Republicans.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Wormuth comes to the job at a critical time for the Army. The force faces potential budget cuts amid military-wide resource constraints. She told lawmakers at her confirmation hearing earlier this month that she didn't "think anyone would be well-served by looking at the Army as just a bit player."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">She takes the helm as the service tries to reinvent how it evaluates physical fitness for soldiers. Leaders have struggled to develop the new Army Combat Fitness Test to create a stronger force without damaging <a href="https://secure.military.com/Recruiting/first"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">recruiting</span></a> and retention for jobs that aren't physically demanding.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Wormuth said the new test is concerning for how it seemingly puts women at a <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/10/nearly-half-of-female-soldiers-still-failing-new-army-fitness-test-while-males-pass-easily.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">significant disadvantage</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">She also told lawmakers it's time to reevaluate the high demands placed on the <a href="http://www.military.com/national-guard"><span style="color: rgb(0, 82, 155);">National Guard</span></a>, after a year in which the part-time force has juggled multiple domestic missions and overseas operations. Her concerns echo those of top Army brass, who are concerned the Guard has been stretched too thin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font color="#292b2c" face="Arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">————————-</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><font color="#292b2c" face="Arial, sans-serif" size="4"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 43, 44);">Photo . . .</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Nominee to be Secretary of the Army Christine Elizabeth Wormuth takes her mask off at a Senate Armed Services Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 13, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Photos/MT_052821.jpg">http://www.tomandrodna.com/MoscowCares/Photos/MT_052821.jpg</a></p></div><div><br></div>—————————————————<br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/">http://www.moscowcares.com/</a></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>