On 10/30/2012 11:08:46 AM, AFRICOM PAO in Stuttgart, Germany said:
Thank you for all the comments and questions. We are aware of the rumors surrounding General Ham’s upcoming departure, and the assumptions are false. General Carter F. Ham is currently the commander of U.S. Africa Command. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta’s announced intention on October 18 to nominate Army General David M. Rodriguez to succeed General Ham followed leadership succession deliberations that took place well before the incident of 9/11/12.
General Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed this issue: “The speculation that General Carter Ham is departing Africa Command (AFRICOM) due to events in Benghazi, Libya, on 11 September 2012 is absolutely false. General Ham’s departure is part of routine succession planning that has been on going since July. He continues to serve in AFRICOM with my complete confidence.”
You can read more here: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/29/dempsey-hits-rumors-about-africom-chiefs-departure/