Army General Joseph Votel recently had a busy and historic day. It’s the first time a Socom commander has been put in charge of Centcom. In the morning, Votel, relinquished command of U.S. Special Operations Command, which he held since August 2014. Votel handed the Socom reins to Army Gen. Raymond “Tony” Thomas during an 11 a.m. ceremony at MacDill. Votel has been widely lauded as a good choice to run Centcom for his overall military background, understanding of the Centcom region and Washington D.C. policy making. But beyond that, two of the top combatant command leaders in the battle against jihadis are now Army generals with extensive experience in the world of special operations.
During both ceremonies, Defense Secretary Ash Carter lauded Votel for his “experience with all elements of the joint force — air, sea, ground, special operations, also cyber and space.” Carter also remarked that Votel has an “extensive experience and deep understanding of the Centcom area of responsibility.” And he has the “politico-military skills and strength as warrior-diplomat,”. “We have important partners and allies in the region, including Israel,” which is not in the Centcom area of responsibility, but always a looming factor in relations with the Arab partners who are. Read More