Small Wars Journal

Special Operations Chief is Obama’s Pick for Centcom, Pentagon Says

Wed, 01/06/2016 - 1:45am

Special Operations Chief is Obama’s Pick for Centcom, Pentagon Says by Gordon Lubold, Wall Street Journal

President Barack Obama will nominate an Army special operations officer to lead U.S. Central Command and oversee the missions in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, according to Pentagon officials in Washington.

The officials said that Mr. Obama intends to nominate Gen. Joe Votel, currently the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, to become chief of Centcom, the war command in Tampa, Fla., that oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.

The move reflects Mr. Obama’s long-held inclination to counter extremist movements like the group calling itself Islamic State with small, highly capable forces like Delta and SEAL teams, rather than large ground units like those used in wars in Iraq in Afghanistan…

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