Pentagon wants quick appointments

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON -- The nation's top military leaders, who unlike political appointees continue to serve the new president, are urging the incoming Obama administration to swiftly fill senior civilian posts in the Pentagon in order to ensure the smooth transfer of power in a time of war.

A top officer involved in the transition told the Globe that the Joint Chiefs of Staff would like to see the appointment and Senate approval of the nearly 50 presidentially appointed officials that run the Department of Defense in short order next year.

He pointed out that some top Pentagon officials did not take office until six months after Bush took office in 2001. "There is a lot of discussion about shortening that process, but there has always been a lot of discussion about shortening that process," said the officer, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "It would certainly be good if we can get the 49 presidential-level appointments."

The commission that investigated the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, warned that the period between the election and inauguration is a particularly vulnerable time and urged several steps be taken to expedite the hand-over, including approving security clearances for key members of the president-elect's transition team even before election day.

The Bush administration is receiving high marks for jump-starting the transition process early. Part of the impetus, officials say, was that two major national security organizations -- the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security -- were created since 2001 and have never gone through the transition to a new president.