Pentagon personnel chief Jessica Wright abruptly stepped down Thursday, just days after the White House announced her boss, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, would leave as well.

Wright, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, is a retired major general and former commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard. She submitted her letter of resignation to President Obama and Hagel.

Wright assumed the responsibilities of undersecretary of defense on Jan. 1, 2013, and after 40 years of government service. She will step down effective March 15 "in order to spend time with her family and enjoy her retirement."

"I want to thank ... Jes Wright," Hagel said in a statement. "Thank you, Jes, for your service to this country, and the many, many long and distinguished years that you have given to our nation."

Wright has presided over some tumult in the military personnel world, including an intensifying zeal to pare back budget spending on pay and benefits in the era of sequestration.

Last year, the Pentagon sought, and Congress approved, the lowest military pay raise in the history of the all-volunteer force dating back to 1973, and lawmakers appear poised to repeat that move in 2015.

Her departure date is just weeks after the Military Compensation Retirement and Modernization Commission is scheduled to deliver a report to Congress on the next major steps in military compensation reform.

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