SECDEF Chuck Hagel announces the appointees to the new panel Tuesday.

[HASC] – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) today announced his nomination of Holly O’Grady Cook to the independent panel established by the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 tasked with reviewing and assessing the military’s investigation, prosecution and adjudication of sexual assault cases:

“Having served in the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps for over two decades, Colonel Cook has the requisite experience in military law, the prosecution of sexual assault, and the necessity of support for victims of rape and sexual assault to make important contributions as a panel member,”  McKeon said.  “The Armed Services Committee has worked for many years in a  bipartisan manner to prevent sexual assault in our military and ensure justice for the victims of these terrible crimes. The creation of this panel and Colonel Cook’s nomination to it represent our continued commitment to protect our warfighters.”

“Colonel Holly Cook currently serves as the Principal Deputy Director of the American Bar Association’s Governmental Affairs Office. Prior to that she served in the US Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps for over two decades in various positions around the globe. Most recently, she served as Chief of the Administrative Law Division from 1989 to 2012 and Chief of the Investigative and Legislative Division from 2008 to 2011. She is a graduate of the National Defense University, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School and Albany Law School of Union University.

DoD (Stars & Stripes) – The Department of Defense announced Tuesday the selection of nine appointees to the Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel.

The panel, established in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2013, is a federal advisory committee that will conduct an independent review and assessment of the systems used to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes involving adult sexual assault and related offenses under article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, for the purpose of developing recommendations concerning how to improve the effectiveness of those systems.

The secretary of defense has appointed five members, who will join four members appointed by the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. The panel will convene its first meeting no later than July 1.

Secretary Hagel appointed the following members to the panel:

Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman

James Houck, vice admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Judge Barbara Jones, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Ret.)

David Lisak, Ph.D.

Colleen McGuire, brigadier general, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Members of the panel appointed by Congress are:

Melinda Dunn, brigadier general, U.S. Army (Ret.), appointed by Chairman Carl Levin, Senate Armed Services Committee.

Harvey Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney of Virginia Beach, appointed by Ranking Member James Inhofe, SASC.

Holly O’Grady Cook, colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.), appointed by Chairman Buck McKeon, House Armed Services Committee.

Professor Elizabeth Hillman, Hastings Law School, appointed by Ranking Member Adam Smith, HASC.