The commander of NATO-led operations that helped Libyan rebels overthrow Muammar Qaddafi took over as the top US military commander in Asia and the Pacific.
Admiral Samuel Locklear moved on Friday into the job leading the Pacific Command as the US places greater emphasis on its military presence in the region in response to Asia’s growing economic importance and China’s rise as a military power.
“In a world where the economy, population and military power are all shifting toward the Pacific, the job you fill today has never been more important,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said at a change-of-command ceremony.
The US’ future depends on the peace and prosperity of Asia and the Pacific, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the crowd of several hundred people gathered at command headquarters on a hill overlooking Pearl Harbor.
“When I look across the world to the threats and challenges that we face as a nation — from terrorism, natural disasters, proliferation of weapons of nuclear destruction, to rogue nations and the rising powers of the Pacific — this region has most of those threats here,” Panetta said.
Panetta said the position required not just a great warrior, but also “a great diplomat.”
Locklear last month told the US Senate Armed Services Committee at his confirmation hearing that China’s military buildup was a source of strategic uncertainty.
He described the current military relationship as “cooperative, but competitive.”
“It would be my plan to, in every way possible, improve our military-to-military relationship, with the recognition that there are things we won’t agree on, that greater transparency is for the good of all of us to avoid miscalculation,” Locklear told the committee.
Willard, the outgoing commander, has said that US-China military ties have been maintained at a senior level, but China is reluctant to have tactical and operational ties with the US.
In the past, Beijing has stymied bilateral military exchanges in response to US arms sales to Taiwan.
Panetta said Locklear brought “great talents” to his new job, and praised the admiral’s performance during the campaign against Qaddafi’s forces. He said some questioned the success of that operation.
“Bringing that many nations together to go after targets in Libya and be able to coordinate that, to develop targets and then distribute those targets to various countries — that’s a huge responsibility,” Panetta said on Thursday. “And yet, Sam Locklear was able to put that operation together.”
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