A former Army secretary and a retired Air Force general were named Wednesday to a new commission investigating a recent rash of deadly military aircraft crashes, the House Armed Services Committee announced.
Pete Geren and Gen. Raymond Johns, who headed the service’s Air Mobility Command, are among four commissions who will sit on the National Commission on Military Aviation Safety.
The picks were made by Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the House Armed Services Committee chairman, and Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., who is the committee’s ranking member.
The commission was first proposed by Smith earlier this year after the fiery crash of an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane in Georgia that killed nine troops.
It was the most recent in a string of deadly mishaps since last year, raising questions about military aviation safety. A widely cited investigation by Military Times found military aviation mishaps increased 40 percent since 2013.
The Pentagon denied any crisis and left investigations up to the individual services.
Two more commissioners will be named to the panel by Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee. President Trump will also appoint four commissioners.
