The Secretary of Defense appointed Honorable Col. Lisa Disbrow (Ret.) as Chair of the Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB) today. Disbrow succeeds Maj. Gen. Arnold L. Punaro, who retired from the Marine Corps Reserve and held the chair since 2011.
The Reserve Forces Policy Board is, by law, a federal advisory committee within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. As mandated by Congress, it serves as an independent adviser to provide advice and recommendations directly to the Secretary of Defense on strategies, policies, and practices designed to improve and enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and effectiveness of the reserve components.
Disbrow retired from the Air Force Reserve and served as Undersecretary of the Air Force, Special Advisor to the National Security Advisor, and the Joint Staff Vice Director for Force Structure, Resources and Assessment. As Chair of the RFPB, Disbrow will lead a group of national security and reserve component experts to provide advice and recommendations on strategies, policies and practices designed to improve and enhance the capabilities, efficiency, and effectiveness of reserve components.
Secretary Austin also appointed Ms. Stacie Pettyjohn to the RFPB Subcommittee Chair for the Total Force Integration Subcommittee. Pettyjohn is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security.
The Department leaders bid farewell to Punaro and look forward to working with Disbrow as the RFPB Chair and Pettyjohn as a subcommittee chair, as well as with all the distinguished members of the board.
