Three veterans of the post-9/11 war against Islamist terrorism are to be appointed to the Senate Armed Services Committee,
Defense One reported.
The three, all newly elected to the Senate in November, are Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.
There will likely be
14 Republicans and 12 Democrats on the incoming 114th Congress panel with
Republicans gaining two seats and Democrats losing two.
Ernst, the first female combat veteran in the Senate, served in Iraq in 2003 running convoy operations as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard. Cotton served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a captain in the Army, and Sullivan, a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves, served extensively in Afghanistan.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, a Vietnam War veteran and former POW, will be the chairman of the committee.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, a major in the Army Reserves during Vietnam who was on the shortlist to replace outgoing Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, will be the ranking Democrat.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will retain his seat on Armed Services. Among other likely 2016 committee appointees are Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, who are expected to continue on the Foreign Relations Committee.
One item on the Armed Services Committee's agenda will be holding hearings on President Barack Obama's nomination of Ashton Carter to replace Hagel.
McCain has indicated that Carter will have his support, the
National Journal reported.
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