New leadership coming to Missile Defense Agency

The Missile Defense Agency will soon have its first Navy leader if all goes as planned: Rear Adm. James Syring has been nominated as the agency’s new director, according to a Pentagon release.

If confirmed by the Senate, Syring would succeed Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, whose leadership was criticized in a May 2 Pentagon Inspector General report, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.

The report indicated that the general’s alleged abusive treatment of subordinates hindered operations at MDA.

“Witnesses testified that O’Reilly’s leadership style resulted in a command climate of fear and low morale,” the inspector general found.

Syring currently serves as program executive officer for naval integrated warfare systems in Washington. He’s also been nominated for promotion to vice admiral along with the MDA post, which will be based at Ft. Belvoir, Va.