Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has designated Brigadier General (Ret.) Susan Escallier to serve as the Convening Authority for Military Commissions, effective October 8, 2023. BG Escallier will succeed Colonel Jeffrey D. Wood, who will continue serving as Convening Authority until October 8 before his voluntary departure from federal service. The Department of Defense thanks Col. Wood for his dedicated service to our Nation.
The Secretary of Defense established the position of the Convening Authority for Military Commissions consistent with the Military Commissions Act of 2009.
BG (Ret.) Escallier served as a judge advocate during 32 years of active duty, serving most recently as the Commander of the Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge of the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals from 2019 until her retirement in 2021. In that role, she oversaw all civil litigation and supervised all trial judges within the U.S. Army.
