Gen. Frank McKenzie on Thursday (March 28th) took over the leadership of the US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in countries including Syria, AFP reported.
At a ceremony led by Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan, McKenzie pledged to continue the work done by his predecessor, Gen. Joseph Votel, who is retiring.
Votel said that while the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) had lost its last sliver of territory, the US military presence in Syria was still necessary.
"It is time to bring these conflicts to a conclusion. This will not be as quick as anyone would like, but it can be done if we continue to keep our objectives and interests in mind, trust our partners, and enable our forces," Votel said.
McKenzie, 62, has twice been deployed to Afghanistan and has served in Iraq.
