Washington: Vice Chief of staff of the US Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III has been picked to head the US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East and the Afghan war, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.
If confirmed, Austin would replace Gen. James N. Mattis at the Tampa-based command, The Washington Post reported.
US Defence Secretary Leon E. Panetta said in statement: “During his final deployment to Iraq, Gen. Austin led our military efforts at a particularly important time, overseeing the drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment while simultaneously helping to ensure that hard-fought security gains were preserved and that Iraqis could secure and govern themselves.”
Austin, 59, has known as a hard-working four-star general, and has kept a rather low profile throughout his career.
The decision comes as the US is scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
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