MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — New U.S. military leaders in the fight against the Islamic State pledged Wednesday that they would do all they can to defeat a “virulent strain of terrorism” never seen before.
The military’s mission in the Middle East got two new leaders as Gen. Joseph Votel, who previously headed U.S. Special Operations Command, stepped into the head role at U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Tony Thomas took over Votel’s old job as the leader of U.S. special forces.
“The road does not get much easier from here. We will continue to face significant challenges at nearly every turn, a virulent strain of terrorism the world has not previously experienced,” Votel said as he left his command at U.S. Special Operations Command during an outdoor ceremony in Tampa. “We are living in a time and a world where complexities lay upon complexities, making solutions seem almost impossible. But despite this doomsday narrative, I am confident that we can prevail.”
As the head of U.S. Central Command, Votel will oversee the fight against the Islamic State and have to make major decisions about how many U.S. forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond the end of this year when the number is set to draw down to 5,500. He told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing in early March that he sees the situation on the ground deteriorating and that U.S. troops should stay there until it improves.
Before taking over Votel’s old job, Thomas served as the leader of the Joint Special Operations Command.
“He gets to the point quickly and candidly,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said of Thomas. “But he’s also the original Philadelphia flyer. There are soldiers ten to twenty years his junior who would think twice about trying to keep up with him in a five-miler.”
In his new role as the leader of SOCOM, Thomas will be more involved in big-picture training and managing special operators, instead of day-to-day ground operations.
Senators told Thomas at his confirmation hearing this month in Washington that he must be “borderline obnoxious” in his new role to ensure the administration takes his recommendations seriously as he oversees the group of troops who are bearing the brunt of today’s conflicts.
“We need you to have the courage to speak truth to power and to ask for the resources and authorities you need, not just those you think the administration will allow,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told the general.
But analysts said they expected the new leaders of the fight in the Middle East will likely face similar struggles as their predecessors in working with a White House often criticized of micromanaging its military.
