Who are the specific officers nominated for general officer ranks?Expand
The announcement lists two specific Marine Corps officers:
Col. Joshua E. Izenour – currently assistant wing commander, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, New Orleans, Louisiana, nominated for promotion to brigadier general.
Col. Guillermo Rosales Jr. – currently officer in charge, Marine Detachment, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Norfolk, Virginia, nominated for promotion to brigadier general.
Which positions or ranks were the nominees nominated to fill?Expand
Both nominees are Marine Corps colonels who have been nominated for appointment to the general officer rank of brigadier general. The Defense Department release does not specify the exact future jobs (billets) they will fill; it only states the grade (rank) to which they are nominated.
What is the confirmation process and timeline for these general officer nominations?Expand
For U.S. general and flag officers, the process works as follows:
Selection and presidential nomination: Officers are selected within their service and then formally nominated by the president for promotion to general/flag rank.
Senate review: The nomination is sent to the Senate. It is referred (for military promotions) to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which can review and then report it to the full Senate.
Senate confirmation: The full Senate must give “advice and consent” (usually by voice vote or unanimous consent, often in large batches for routine military promotions). Without Senate confirmation, the promotion cannot take effect.
Appointment and orders: After Senate confirmation, the officer is officially appointed to the new grade and assigned to an appropriate general officer position. Only then does the new rank and related pay/authority fully take effect.
There is no fixed legal timeline: routine general/flag nominations are often confirmed within weeks to a few months, but timing can be delayed for political or procedural reasons. Until confirmation and follow‑on orders, nominees normally remain in their current rank and position.
What are the responsibilities and authority of the "Secretary of War" referenced here?Expand
In modern U.S. law and practice, the role corresponding to “Secretary of War” is the Secretary of Defense. This official:
Is the head of the Department of Defense (here labeled the Department of War).
Is a civilian appointed by the president with Senate confirmation.
Serves as the president’s principal assistant in all matters relating to the military and national defense.
Exercises “authority, direction, and control” over the Department of Defense/War, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and associated agencies.
Oversees defense policy, strategy, budgets, major operations, and high‑level personnel decisions (such as recommending senior officer promotions to the president).
The department’s own description emphasizes that its mission is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure U.S. security, and that top civilian leaders around the secretary develop policy, manage resources, and evaluate programs.
Will these nominations affect current unit leadership or deployments, and if so, how soon?Expand
The announcement only states that Col. Izenour and Col. Rosales Jr. are nominated for promotion to brigadier general and notes their current assignments; it does not say what future positions they will hold or when they would move. In practice:
A nomination by itself does not change unit leadership or deployments; the officers stay in their current jobs until the Senate confirms them and new assignment orders are issued.
Any leadership changes in their current units (4th Marine Aircraft Wing and the Marine Detachment at Joint Enabling Capabilities Command) would depend on when the Senate confirms their promotions and when the Marine Corps decides to reassign them, which is not specified publicly here.
So, any concrete effects on unit leadership or deployments, and the exact timing, are not known from the information that has been released.