Army Gen. Bryan Fenton, formerly head of Joint Special Operations Command, succeeded the retiring Gen. Richard Clarke as commander of U.S. Special Operations Command during a ceremony held Tuesday at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida, DVIDS reported.
Fenton takes leadership as USSOCOM works to support integrated deterrence amid competition with China and Russia.
“General Fenton has served in and commanded at every level of Special Operations Forces,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“He’s been a part of operations in nearly every region around the world and General Fenton has built up extensive expertise in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, he managed to get four consecutive assignments in Hawaii and it culminated in General Fenton becoming the first Special Operations officer to serve as the deputy commander at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command,” added Austin, a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.
He was commissioned as an Army infantry officer in May 1987 and since then, has served with Southern Command, European Command, Central Command and other combatant commands. His military career also includes time participating in Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Africa; Operations Joint Forge in Bosnia; Iraqi Freedom; and Odyssey Dawn in Libya.