CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — A fighter pilot who made a cameo appearance as a Tom Cruise foe in "Top Gun" has taken over as the top U.S. military commander in Asia and the Pacific.
Adm. Robert F. Willard assumed control of the U.S. Pacific Command in a Monday ceremony presided over by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who stopped in Hawaii en route to meetings in Japan and South Korea.
The F-14 fighter pilot spent the last two years heading the U.S. Pacific Fleet and its 180 ships, 1,500 aircraft and 125,000 military personnel.
At the Pacific Command, he'll lead all branches of the military in the Asia-Pacific, from California to the Indian Ocean, and will be in charge of some 325,000 personnel........FULL STORY
RELATED:
Walsh is new US Pacific Fleet commander
The Associated Press - Sep 25, 2009
He succeeds Adm. Robert F. Willard, who is becoming the top US military commander in the Asia-Pacific region as head of the US Pacific Command. ...
