US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld walks with Lt Gen John Sattler as he heads for a ‘town hall’ type meeting with the troops at the Al Asad Air Base in the western Iraqi desert. (Reuters)
Posted on 07/06/2006 4:03:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON – President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. John Sattler, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, to a key job on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Pentagon and Marine Corps sources have suggested that Sattler's selection as the new director for strategic plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs would position him to replace Army Gen. John Abizaid as the commander of the U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for conducting the conflicts in Irag and Afghanistan.
Abizaid's normal three-year tour at Central Command would have ended this month, but President Bush has asked him to stay for an extra year. On the joint staff, Sattler would replace Lt. Gen. James Conway, whom he relieved in September 2004 as 1st MEF commander. Both men have commanded the Marine forces in Iraq.
Conway has been nominated to become the next Marine Corps commandant.
Lt. Gen. James Mattis, who led the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 assault on Iraq, has been nominated to replace Sattler as 1st MEF commander. He currently is commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, at Quantico, Va. All three of those nominations must be confirmed by the Senate, which returns to work next week after a July 4th recess.
Damn, I was hoping to see my MCRD Series Commander tapped, Lt. Gen. Huly, Oh well , next time. ;-)
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld walks with Lt Gen John Sattler as he heads for a ‘town hall’ type meeting with the troops at the Al Asad Air Base in the western Iraqi desert. (Reuters)
I wouldn't attach any particular meaning to the timing ,, command changes happen. ;-)
Abazaid's stint was up, Sattler is well qualified to take over his slot.
My error in previous post, Sattler will take Conway's slot, not Abizaid's,
Abizaid has agreed to extend his normal 3 year stint another year.
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