U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs

Courtesy Story

MIAMI -- Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser became the first-ever Air Force officer to lead U.S. Southern Command as he relieved Navy Adm. James Stavridis during a change of command ceremony at the command's headquarters.

More than 300 invited guests and military leaders attended the event, including Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright.

Fraser comes to SOUTHCOM from U.S. Pacific Command, headquartered in Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, where he served as the deputy commander. As SOUTHCOM's commander, he is now responsible for overseeing all U.S. military operations in Latin America and Caribbean.

"The transnational and trans-regional challenges we face to security, stability, and prosperity in the Americas can only be met through strong, enduring partnerships," said Fraser. "I'm eager to work with this great team of professionals at Southern Command and our partners in south Florida and throughout the region"

"I have followed this gentleman for many years. I am in the Gen. Fraser fan club and have been for a long time. This is a wonderful appointment," said Cartwright.

Fraser is SOUTHCOM's 21st commander since it was designated in 1963. He takes over following Stavridis' nearly three-year stint at SOUTHCOM, a tenure that included the rescue of three American hostages held for five years in Colombia, the growth of several multinational exercise programs, the institutionalization of humanitarian and disaster relief missions and a complete headquarters reorganization.

"Admiral Stavridis has fostered a spirit of interagency and international cooperation that reflects the post-Cold War realities of the 21st Century. He has made SOUTHCOM the embodiment of what is now called 'smart power,'" said Gates.

"When he first took this post nearly three years ago, [Stavridis] understood that the mix of security challenges facing this region - narcotics, corruption, gangs, kidnapping and more - does not lend itself to military solutions as traditionally understood and practiced. Toward this end, [Stavridis] has not just redrawn this command's organization charts, he has fundamentally reformed its institutional culture and ways of doing business," said Gates.

"Consider that arguably the most successful act of American public diplomacy so far in this new century was the tour of the USNS Comfort in 2007," said Gates, who noted that the hospital ship's crew conducted 400,000 patient encounters and 1,700 surgeries in 12 nations. "The success of that first tour spurred the subsequent Continuing Promise missions that carry on to this day."

Stavridis, who assumed command of SOUTHCOM on Oct. 19, 2006, heads to NATO as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, headquartered in Mons, Belgium. He will also serve as commander, U.S. European Command, in Stuttgart, Germany.

At the end of his speech, Stavridis told the audience that he will miss SOUTHCOM and that "my heart will always be in the Americas."

In addition to his previous post, Fraser has also served as commander of Alaskan Command, a component command of U.S. Pacific Command; 11th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and Alaskan North American Defense Region, headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

A 1975 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and 1992 graduate of the National War College, Fraser earned a master's degree in political science from Auburn University in 1987.

Prior to the ceremony, Gates officially promoted Fraser to a four-star general at a small gathering of family, friends and military leaders in the SOUTHCOM headquarters.

U.S. Southern Command is one of six geographic combatant commands in the Department of Defense. The command's region encompasses more than 30 countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Its mission is to conduct military operations and promote security cooperation to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.

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