McChrystal to replace McKiernan in Afghanistan - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

McChrystal to replace McKiernan in Afghanistan

Army Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, an officer with extensive experience in special operations, has been nominated for promotion to general and assignment as the senior commander in Afghanistan.

If the nomination is confirmed by the Senate, McChrystal, currently the director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, would replace Army Gen. David D. McKiernan.

The surprise relief of McKiernan was announced Monday at the Pentagon by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Gates also announced that Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, his senior military assistant, has been nominated for reappointment as a lieutenant general and assignment at McChrystal’s deputy.

McKiernan has commanded International Security Assistance and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Afghanistan for the past 12 months, including the current contingent of 32,000 U.S. service members, mostly soldiers and Marines.

That force is expected to increase by more than 20,000 in the next few months as the Obama administration seeks to counter an increasingly aggressive Taliban insurgency that Gates has described as our “greatest military challenge.”

McKiernan is known to have sought a more robust expansion of U.S. forces, although Gates said that did not play into his decision to change commanders.

Gates said the challenge in Afghanistan “requires new thinking, a new strategy … and I believe new leadership.”

Gates and Mullen also said they felt "fresh eyes" are needed in Afghanistan.

Gates said that from a military standpoint, "we can and should be doing better" in Afghanistan. But neither he nor Mullen would point to specific things McKiernan was doing with which they found fault, or things he might have being doing poorly or has refused to do.

The secretary said that decision was made following his recent visit to the combat theater, and in consultation with Mullen and Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command.

The secretary said given the impending surge of forces into Afghanistan, “this is the right time to make the change.”

While Gates and Mullen declined to discuss new strategies and tactics for Afghanistan, both said the mission requires a fresh look.

McChrystal, a West Point graduate who began his career in 1976 as an infantry lieutenant, has served as a battalion and regimental commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment; as a military fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations; as chief of staff of Combined Joint Task Force-180 in Afghanistan during the early phases of Operation Enduring Freedom; and for nearly five years as commander of Joint Special Operations Command, Joint Special Operations Command Forward and U.S. Special Operations Command.

Rodriguez, also a Military Academy graduate, has a strong light infantry background, having served repetitive assignments with the 75th Ranger Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division, most recently as its commander, including a deployment to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008.

McKiernan, an infantry officer, served for three years as the Army’s senior commander in Europe before becoming the senior allied commander in Afghanistan.

Prior to his tour as commander of U.S. Army Europe, McKiernan successively was deputy commander of Army Forces Command; commander of Third U.S. Army during the early phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Army G-3; and from 1999-2001 commander of the 1st Cavalry Division.

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Staff writer John T. Bennett contributed to this report.