Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commanding general of the U.S. Army‘s XVIII Airborne Corps, will assume leadership of the country’s military campaign against the Islamic State militant organization in August, Army Times reported Tuesday.
Townsend will succeed Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, III Corps commander, and will take over the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve headquarters with 450 of his soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps, Michelle Tan wrote in the story.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Townsend’s appointment along with the news that an additional 560 troops would be deployed to help Iraq’s security forces at the Qayyarah West airfield.