Joint Forces Command leader replaces Petraeus at CentCom
Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to take the reigns at U.S. Central Command while Army Gen. David Petraeus takes over in Afghanistan.
President Barack Obama on July 21 nominated Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis to be the new commander of U.S. Central Command, according to the Defense Department. Mattis currently is the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command.
If confirmed, Mattis will become the superior of Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, whom he will replace as CENTCOM leader, while Petraeus takes over as the top commander in Afghanistan. Petraeus was appointed to take over as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan after Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal stepped down from the post last month amid controversy over his comments in a Rolling Stone article.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended Mattis for the job earlier this month.
“General Mattis has proven to be one of the military's most innovative and iconoclastic thinkers,” Gates said during a July 8 Pentagon news conference. “His insights into the nature of warfare in the 21st century have influenced my own views about how the armed forces must be shaped and postured for the future.”