US: McKenzie replaces Votel as CENTCOM commander

By Umar Farooq</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie has taken over the leadership of Central Command (CENTCOM), replacing retiring Gen. Joseph Votel as America's top general in the Middle East.</p> <p>At a ceremony at CENTCOM headquarters Thursday in Florida, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan thanked Votel for his leadership in the position.</p> <p>“In Syria and Iraq, you have cooperated within a coalition or 79 nations and international organizations to eliminate ISIS’s physical caliphate — a four-and-a-half year struggle that culminated just last week,” the secretary said about Votel, using another name for the Daesh terrorist group.</p> <p>Votel served in the military for 40 years, where he began his career in 1980 as an infantry officer.</p> <p>&quot;We have worked with our partners to improve capabilities, build resilience, enhance interoperability, deter our adversaries and safeguard our common interests,&quot; Votel said.</p> <p>The area in which CENTCOM overseas spans Africa, the Middle East and into Central and South Asia — an area of 4.6 million square miles that covers 20 countries and is populated by 550 million people.</p> <p>McKenzie was previously CENTCOM's director of strategy, plans and policy. He also served as director of the Joint Staff, which serves to assist the Joint Chiefs of Staff.</p> <p>&quot;We know that even as we build upon the gains of the last few years and accomplishments in Syria the last few weeks, new challenges always await this command,&quot; McKenzie said. &quot;I know that the battle-tested team at CENTCOM remains in the ready to do what has to be done.&quot;