KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command from U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez July 11.
U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, ISAF commander, presided over the change of command at IJC’s Kabul International Airport headquarters.
Gen. Petraeus highlighted coalition and Afghan progress under Rodriguez’s command and offered words of advice to the new commander.
“Gen. Rod is, in many respects, the operational architect of the campaign plan that has guided the progress of the past year,” Petraeus said. “After overseeing the building of the IJC headquarters, he has spent as much time in the field as in his office overseeing, together with various Afghan partners, the execution of the operational campaign plan he helped design. Gen. Rod understands the lives of the Afghan people, and he has made it his personal mission to help serve and protect them.”
Rodriguez was named the first IJC commander in October 2009 and previously served as the military assistant to former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. From January 2007 to April 2008 Rodriquez was the commander of Regional Command-East. After two straight years in command, Rodriguez has been nominated to receive his fourth star and take command of U.S. Army Forces Command.
“To my Afghan partners you are the backbone of the progress we have made here in Afghanistan,” Rodriguez said. “The people of Afghanistan continue to grow confidence in the Afghan national security forces and every day, as leaders, you make tough decisions in the best interest of the people of Afghanistan.”
Rodriguez then turned his comments to his successor, offering high praise for the future IJC commander.
“Lt. Gen. Scaparrotti is a superb leader and a proven counterinsurgent,” he added. “He has first-hand knowledge of Afghanistan’s complexities having led the fight in Regional Command-East. There is no better man to lead the operational fight.”
Scaparrotti comes to IJC from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., where he served as the commander of U.S. Army’s I Corps, a heavily-decorated unit responsible for pushing invading forces out of Europe in World War I. The general has served in Iraq and this is his second tour in Afghanistan.
“I’m humbled to be the new IJC commander and honored to be a part of the team with our Afghan counterparts,” Scaparrotti said. “IJC is where the future will be shaped through our partnered approach to fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. The work we do will have an impact for years to come.”
| Date Taken: |
07.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
07.11.2011 15:10 |
| Story ID: |
73552 |
| Location: |
KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: |
339 |
| Downloads: |
1 |
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