U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has said it will conduct a change of command ceremony on July 26 Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany.
The new commander U.S. Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend will assume the new position from retiring U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser.
The acting U.S. Secretary of Defense is scheduled to preside over the ceremony.
Townsend will be the fifth AFRICOM commander since the command was established in 2008.
Townsend previously served as the commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command since March 2018.
He has led and commanded troops at every echelon from platoon to corps and combined joint task force, to include leading all U.S. and multi-national forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as the Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
U.S. Africa Command is one of six U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands.
The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent in order to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.
