Army Gen. Joseph Votel is the new leader of US Central Command, assuming leadership from retiring Army Gen. Lloyd Austin during a Wednesday ceremony. Votel, who was nominated in January, brings a special operations background to CENTCOM, having previously served as commander of US Special Operations Command and as a Ranger regiment commander. “Joe has forged difficult consensus and cemented strong partnerships with many of his regional counterparts,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during the ceremony at MacDill AFB, Fla. “His political-military skill and strength as a warrior diplomat make him the perfect fit to lead CENTCOM, a command where our partners matter so much and our partnerships run so deep.”
The program executive officers for some of the Air Force’s largest acquisition management organizations are struggling to deal with an exodus of senior talent and experienced civilian staff, three of them told an industry conference.
