Sen. Cornyn Applauds Confirmation Of Generals To Fill Top Military Posts
Press Release
Sen. Cornyn Applauds Confirmation Of Generals To Fill Top Military Posts
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the following statement regarding the Senate's confirmation today of Gen. David Petraeus to serve as the next commander of U.S. Central Command, and Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno to succeed Petraeus as commander of all U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq:
"America is fortunate to have two tremendous leaders in Generals Petraeus and Odierno, and I applaud their confirmation by the Senate. Both of these individuals possess the firsthand leadership experience, skill, and record of success to fill these critical positions in our national defense.
"Gen. Petraeus' innovative counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq has significantly turned the tide in one of our nation's most challenging conflicts. His success in the Iraqi military, political, and economic arenas has been extraordinary. Likewise, his close working relationship with Ambassador Crocker and the other agencies of government has set the standard for the future. Gen. Petraeus' ability to lead our troops with a steady hand and base his military decisions solely on objective conditions on the ground, despite second-guessing by some in Washington and political efforts to trump his military judgment, will serve our country well as he assumes the leadership of CENTCOM.
"Similarly, Lt. Gen. Odierno has masterfully translated General Petraeus' strategy into an operational reality. He gained invaluable experience on the ground in Iraq under Gen. Petraeus and is more than qualified to succeed him as the top commander there. I also applaud his past leadership and service to our nation as the commander of the Army's III Corps and Ft. Hood, Texas. I'm fully confident in his leadership as our troops continue to root out al-Qaeda in Iraq and bring stability to that region of the world.
"Finally, I would like to thank the families of these two fine officers for their sacrifice and commitment. It is their support that has allowed these officers to accomplish so much."
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