David Petraeus hands over Afghanistan command

[EFerrari]

18 July 2011 Last updated at 01:09 ET

Gen David Petraeus, the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, is due to hand over command to his successor, Lt Gen John Allen.

Gen Petraeus will start a new role as head of the US CIA in September.

The handover comes hours after a senior aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a lawmaker were killed in an attack in Kabul.

Less than a week earlier, Mr Karzai's half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, was assassinated in Kandahar.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14181299?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[EFerrari]

1. This is the new guy.

Following commissioning in 1976, Allen attended The Basic School and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, where he served as a platoon and rifle company commander. His next tour took him to Marine Barracks, 8th and I, Washington, D.C. where he served at the Marine Corps Institute and as a ceremonial officer.

Allen then attended the Postgraduate Intelligence Program of the Defense Intelligence College, where he was the Distinguished Graduate. He subsequently served as the Marine Corps Fellow to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He was the first Marine Corps officer inducted as a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Returning to the Fleet Marine Force in 1985 he commanded weapons companies and served as the operations officer of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines. During this period he received the Leftwich Leadership Trophy. In 1988, Allen reported to the U.S. Naval Academy where he taught in the Political Science Department and also served as the Jump Officer and Jump Master of the Academy. In 1990, he received the William P. Clements Award as military instructor of the year.

Allen reported to The Basic School as the Director of the Infantry Officer Course from 1990–1992 and was subsequently selected as a Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow, serving as a special assistant on the staffs of the 30th Commandant and the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. In 1994, he served as Division G-3 Operations Officer for the 2nd Marine Division and subsequently assumed command of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines; re-designated as 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines. This unit served with JTF 160 in Operation SEA SIGNAL during Caribbean contingency operations in 1994, and as part of the Landing Force of the 6th Fleet in Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR during Balkans contingency operations in 1995-1996.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Allen#Marine_Corps_career