The Senate confirmed several military promotions Monday evening that will impact Army and Air Force commands.

Army Lt. Gen. John M. Murray, who currently serves as deputy chief of staff for programs, G-8, was confirmed to assume the rank of general and become the first commander of the Army Futures Command, which is slated to open in Austin, Texas. The command began operations on July 1, and is expected to reach full capacity by summer 2019, according to the service.

Army Lt. Gen. John Murray was promoted Aug. 20 to the rank of general and confirmed by the Senate to become the new Army Futures Command commander. Photo: Army
Army Lt. Gen. John Murray was promoted Aug. 20 to the rank of general and confirmed by the Senate to become the new Army Futures Command commander. Photo: Army

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) released a joint statement Tuesday praising Murray’s confirmation.

“Just as Austin is uniquely positioned to ensure the Army succeeds in this new mission, General Murray’s long career and dedicated service in uniform makes him the right leader for Army Futures Command,” Cruz said.

“General Murray’s impressive leadership experience within many levels in the U.S. Army makes him an exceptional candidate to lead its new innovative command in Austin,” Cornyn said. “I look forward to welcoming Gen. Murray back to central Texas and following the success of the U.S. Army Futures Command under his direction.”

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said Tuesday that senior leadership will be heading down to Austin on Friday to hold the activation ceremony for the new Futures Command. McConville was the keynote speaker at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Army Science and Technology Symposium and Showcase in Washington, D.C.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller was promoted to the rank of general and will become the next Air Mobility Command commander, as current commander Gen. Carlton Everhart retires later this year. She currently serves as the chief of Air Force Reserve and Air Force Reserve Command commander. The change of command will take place Sept. 7 at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, said an Air Force Mobility Command spokesperson in an email.

Matthew Beinart contributed to this report.