▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁officially ▁appointed ▁K ohl mann ▁to ▁pres ide ▁over ▁B iny am ▁Moh ammed ' s ▁military ▁commission . ▁In ▁its ▁r uling ▁in ▁Ham dan ▁v . ▁Rum sf eld ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ruled ▁that ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁lack ed ▁the ▁constitution al ▁authority ▁to ▁create ▁military ▁comm issions . ▁ ▁The ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁had ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁did ▁have ▁the ▁constitution al ▁authority ▁create ▁military ▁comm issions , ▁and ▁Congress ▁subsequently ▁passed ▁the ▁Military ▁Comm issions ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁later , ▁re - inst itut ing ▁military ▁comm issions ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁earlier ▁President ial ly ▁author ized ▁comm issions . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁K ohl mann ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁Chief ▁judge ▁by ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Military ▁Comm issions . ▁ ▁Order ed ▁Peter ▁Brown back ' s ▁replacement ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁an ▁e - mail ▁from ▁K ohl mann ▁announced ▁that ▁a ▁new ▁officer ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁replace ▁Peter ▁Brown back . ▁The ▁initial ▁lack ▁of ▁explanation ▁triggered ▁comment ators ▁to ▁question ▁Brown back ' s ▁firing . ▁Captain ▁Andre ▁K ok , ▁a ▁sp ok esp erson ▁for ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Military ▁Comm issions , ▁claimed ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁" a ▁mut ual ▁decision ▁between ▁Col . ▁Brown back ▁and ▁the ▁Army