The Pentagon has until the end of February to submit its new plan to defeat ISIS, giving the White House new options to change the rules of the engagement and other policy adjustments to defeat the group. The Presidential Memorandum, released on Saturday, says ISIS is the most “vicious and aggressive” Islamic terrorist group threatening the US. The memorandum was issued the day after President Donald Trump visited the Pentagon, ordered the Defense Department to immediately begin rebuilding the military, and signed an executive order blocking residents of seven Muslim-majority countries from coming to the US. Trump, during his campaign, said he had a plan to defeat ISIS but would not speak publicly about it because he didn’t want the terrorist group to know what what he wanted to do. Trump’s executive order also changed how the government refers to the group, using the term ISIS instead of ISIL, which was preferred by President Barack Obama and the Pentagon under his leadership.
As commander of Air Forces Central, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich has been at the heart of almost all U.S. military action in the Middle East, from overseeing airstrikes against Iranian proxy groups to protecting troops as America’s air defense commander for the region. Just before handing over his command to…