Pentagon restarts 16 advisory boards after 7-month pause

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has agreed to restart 16 defense advisory boards, after halting activity by all the Pentagon panels in February and essentially purging a number of members who were appointed in the final days of the Trump administration. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says a sweeping review of all the boards is complete, and Austin has begun taking action on some of the recommendations from that study. The 16 boards being reinstated so far include many of the more prominent panels, including the Defense policy, business, science and health boards.