Military

           The Department of Defense announced today the appointment of three members of the newly authorized Commission on the National Guard and Reserve.

            Arnold L. Punaro, William L. Ball III and Rhett B. Dawson are the first members appointed to this 13-member commission, which will study the roles and missions of the National Guard and other reserve components as well as compensation and benefits.

            A retired major general in the Marine Corps Reserves, Punaro served as the Marine Corps Director of Reserve Affairs. He is a senior vice president and the deputy director for federal business development of Science Applications International Corp.

            “The charter and work of the commission is timely given the key role of the Guard and Reserves in every aspect of our national security at home and abroad, now and in the future,” said Punaro, who will serve as chairman for the commission.

            Ball, a former naval officer, served as the secretary of the Navy and assistant secretary of State during the Reagan administration. Dawson is the president and chief executive officer of the Information Technology Industry Council.

            The remaining 10 members of the commission will be appointed by the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.