Recent combat experience marks Army leaders

[unhappycamper]

Recent combat experience marks Army leaders
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday May 3, 2008 7:57:40 EDT

After nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army’s top leadership is being shaped by deep combat experience at the strategic and operational levels.

The unexpected departure of Navy Adm. William Fallon as commander of U.S. Central Command means a quick return of Army influence over a strategically sensitive region of the world. And the two uniformed officers who head the Army at home will have a combined recent deployment history of more than four years.

Gen. David Petraeus, former commander of the 101st Airborne Division and head of Multi-National Force-Iraq, will be nominated as the next commander of CentCom to oversee U.S. and coalition military operations in Southwest Asia, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, including managing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who commanded the 4th Infantry Division at the beginning of operations in Iraq in 2003 and just finished 15 months commanding Multi-National Corps-Iraq, is nominated to succeed Petraeus as the top U.S. commander by the end of summer.

Adding to the experience level that reflects the deployment history of more than 60 percent of the active Army is the nomination of former 1st Cavalry Division and MNC-I commander Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli to become the next vice chief of staff, a position Odierno had been nominated for until he was selected to return to Baghdad.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/army_topgenerals_050308w/