Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda took the oath of office Monday at the Pentagon as the new deputy assistant secretary of defense for manpower and personnel issues.

In her new position, Boyda will work on serving National Guard and Reserve service members.

“They’re on the front lines a lot, and we need to make sure that they are being treated accordingly,” Boyda said.

Boyda, a Democrat, in November lost her re-election bid to Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Republican, for the U.S. House seat of Kansas’ 2nd District, which includes western Lawrence. During her two years in Congress, Boyda served on the House Armed Services Committee and worked on many issues that affect military service members and their families.

“I have a steep learning curve, but a lot of it is already familiar,” she said.

President Barack Obama appointed her to the position.