The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved Lt. Gen. John Kelly‘s nomination as U.S. Southern Command head on July 25, Military Times reports.
He replaces U.S. Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, who has held the position since June 2009.
Kelly previously served as senior military adviser to the secretary of defense.
As Southern Command Head, Kelly will oversee U.S. operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
He was nominated by president Obama in January and is the third Marine commander to hold the post.
Some of the issues Kelly said he plans to focus on include improving response to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, cyber threats and police corruption.
Kelly added he will visit the naval station at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station early in his tenure.
I respectfully suggest that LtGen Kelly, whom I personally know to be a stellar Marine, is not actually going to get promoted to “five star.” If he did (presuming the protestations from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Congress didn’t halt the action), he would be the FIRST Marine to hold that rank, which at this juncture is ‘theoretical.’