He said Air Force General Lori Robinson will be appointed as the next head of the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM), which is responsible for the defense of the US “homeland” with an area of operations that extends from Alaska to portions of the Caribbean.
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The president will nominate Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson for commander of U.S. Northern Command.
Carter also announced Obama would nominate Army Gen. Vincent Brooks as commander of U.S. Forces Korea, to succeed Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who has been tapped to become NATO Supreme Allied Commander and head U.S. European Command. Follow Reuters on Twitter. If appointed, she would replaced Admiral Bill Gortney, who has had the position since 2014.
“We have, coming along now, a lot of female officers who are exceptionally strong”.
“General Robinson, it just so happens, would also be the first ever female combatant commander”, Carter said, disclosing Obama’s plans to nominate her. With the PACAF assignment, Robinson became the first U.S. female four-star to command combat forces.
The Pentagon previous year opened all combat positions to women, including elite special operations units.
She is now commander for the Pacific Air Forces and enrolled in the Air Force in 1982.
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Brooks has been the commander “shepherding Pacific Pathways” and his nomination showed that the USA military viewed the Asia-Pacific as “the single most consequential region of the world” for US security, Carter said.
