President Barack Obama is set to nominate Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, to oversee U.S. Central Command as part of an effort to combat extremist groups, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Gordon Lubold writes Votel will succeed Gen. Lloyd Austin and be responsible for U.S. operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan if confirmed by the Senate.
Gen. Tony Thomas, head of the Joint Special Operations Command, stands as a potential successor to Votel, according to the report.
Votel served as head of JSOCÂ before taking his current role at SOCOMÂ in 2014, the Journal reports.
Earlier in his career, he served as the director of the Army and Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Task Force and later as the deputy director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization.
Votel was also the deputy commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division/CJTF-82 for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.