New USFK Commander Nominated
There is going to be a new sheriff in town shortly:
U.S. Army Europe commander Gen. B.B. Bell, who oversaw the deployment of Germany- and Italy-based soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan and also wrote the plan to downsize the Army’s presence in Europe, has been nominated to be the next commander of U.S. Forces Korea.
Bell would succeed Army Gen. Leon J. LaPorte.
“If the nomination is confirmed by the Senate, (wife) Katie and I will welcome the challenges and opportunities this new assignment brings,†Bell said Tuesday in a statement issued by the USAREUR public affairs office.
A Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday he did not know if LaPorte was retiring or being reassigned and did not know who would replace Bell at USAREUR headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.
Here is what General Bell gets to look forward to:
Issues that would confront Bell in South Korea include the scheduled reduction of U.S. forces there from 37,500 to 25,000 by 2008; the possible rotation of troops into war zones; and ensuring U.S. and South Korean troops are prepared to defend the nation against aggressors.
The U.S. is undergoing a major repositioning of its forces in South Korea in which the number of its installations would be reduced from 41 to 10. The goal, U.S. Forces Korea officials have said, is to create a less intrusive, more flexible configuration of American forces on the peninsula.
I don’t know much about General Bell but feel free to comment those that do.
