LTG Raymond "Tony" Thomas has been nominated to be the new leader of U.S. Special Operations Command, announced Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. “General Thomas has big boots to fill, but he has proven himself — as a soldier, special operator and leader, time and time again over the course of his illustrative career,” Carter said during a news briefing alongside Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In a statement prior to be confirmed LTG Thomas said; “I am humbled by this potential opportunity to continue to serve our country and its Special Operations Forces, and I am honored by the trust inherent in this nomination,” Thomas said in an emailed statement. “If the Senate confirms the nomination, I will be committed to keeping our nation safe and maintaining and supporting the world’s best Special Operations Forces.” Thomas, has led troops in both the Army’s elite Ranger battalions and Delta Force. Thomas spent almost 12 years Afghanistan before taking a post as the top military liaison to the CIA in 2013. In 2007, Thomas served as assistant division commander for the 1st Armored Division during a 15-month stint near Mosul, Iraq. Read More