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dm. Eric Olson became the first Navy SEAL to wear four stars and to take command of US Special Operations Command in a ceremony Monday at the command’s headquarters in Tampa, Fla. Olson, who had served as SOCOM deputy commander, received Senate confirmation on June 28. As we reported when Olson was nominated, the Army has dominated leadership of the command, with one exception: Air Force Gen. Charles Holland led SOCOM from in 2000-03. Olson replaces Army Gen. Bryan Brown who plans to retire. In remarks at the ceremony, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said of Olson that he is a “true warrior and legend in this [special ops] community” and customarily gives “honest opinions and recommendations—with the bark off, and straight from the shoulder.”
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
