Defense Secretary Bob Gates immediately appointed Army Gen. Keith Alexander to his new post as head of the new US Cyber Command following a May 21 ceremony at Ft. Meade, Md., for Alexander’s promotion to four stars. The Senate had confirmed Alexander for his new rank and role May 7. With Alexander formally in charge of the new command, CYBERCOM also marked its initial operating capability, according to the May 21 Pentagon release. CYBERCOM serves as a sub-unified command, operating under US Strategic Command. Alexander retains his other role as director of the National Security Agency and chief Central Security Service, with all three functions operating from a base at Ft. Meade.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.