Sasha Baker, the Pentagon’s acting policy chief will leave her position next month, as Defense News reported. She has been in the position since Colin Kahl left last summer.
The Senate has not yet taken up the nomination of Derek Chollet, a senior State Department official, to lead the policy office. He faced tough questions from lawmakers last year about his role in the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“The sooner that confirmation can occur, the better,” Pentagon press secretary Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.
Replacing Baker until a full-time policy chief is confirmed will be Amanda Dory, who worked in the policy office in the past and is now director of Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University.
Air Force photo of Baker, left, by Staff Sgt. Ariel Owings