Army Official Says Selection Process Progressing for New Corps Chief
The process for picking a successor to Army Corps of Engineers Chief, Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers, is "well advanced," says John Paul Woodley, Jr., assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. Woodley says Flowers would like to have a departure ceremony in July, and the assistant secretary adds that he will be advocating that ceremony be "a direct handoff" to a new chief, so there is no interim period before a commander is installed. Flowers, who became Chief of Engineers in October 2000, is expected to retire this year. The chief's term is typically four years.
Asked whether a recommended choice for the next chief has been forwarded up the chain of command at the Pentagon, Woodley said, "It's well under way." There has been no announcement from the White House, Army or the Corps.