Defense secretary’s chief of staff to step down

Eric Chewning, chief of staff to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, is stepping down at the end of the month, the latest in a series of high-profile civilians to leave the Pentagon.

He’ll be replaced by Jen Stewart, the top Republican staffer on the House Armed Services Committee and a former top adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, according to a statement from Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah.

Chewning, a former Army intelligence officer and combat veteran, has managed the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Secretary of Defense through a historic number of leadership changes, working for four Pentagon chiefs. Continue reading.