President nominates Army general as new deputy commander
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates has announced that the president has nominated Army Maj. Gen. Keith M. Huber for appointment to the rank oflieutenant general with assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command. Huber currently serves as commander of U.S. Army South at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
By Jacob Boyer
USJFCOM Public Affairs
(NORFOLK, Va. – Oct. 15, 2009) – Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced today that President Barack Obama nominated Army Maj. Gen. Keith M. Huber for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general with assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM).
Pending confirmation by the Senate, Huber will oversee performance of USJFCOM, whose mission is to provide mission-ready, joint-capable forces and support the development and integration of joint, interagency, and multi-national capabilities to meet the present and future operational needs of the joint force.
Huber currently serves as commander of U.S. Army South, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. If confirmed, he will replace Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, who was nominated to take command of Joint Task Force 435, a new command responsible for overseeing detainee operations in Afghanistan.
Huber entered the Army in 1975 and served in several command and staff positions to include a rifle and support platoon leader with the 7th Infantry Division, company commander and battalion and brigade operations officer with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and division chief of operations, battalion commander, and director of civil military operations with the 101st during Operation Desert Storm.
As a general officer, he served as the assistant division commander (operations) with the 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York, and deputy commanding general for 1st U.S. Army.
Huber’s career included multiple unconventional and joint duty assignments, beginning as a Special Forces operational detachment team leader in Panama. He commanded Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras after two tours as a field advisor in Nicaragua and El Salvador.
As a general officer, be served as the director of operations for USSOCOM and as the commander of Task Force Falcon in Kosovo. Additionally, he was chairman of the Inter-American Defense Board and director of the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, D.C.
His awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. He is Special Forces and Ranger qualified and has earned the Combat Infantryman, Expert Infantryman, Master Parachutist, Special Operations Diving Supervisor, Air Assault and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification badges.
Foreign awards include Colombian José María Córdova Order of Military Merit, Honduran Order of Merit First Class, French National Order of Merit, Republic of El Salvador Gold Medal for Distinguished Service, Brazilian Peacemaker’s Medal and Master Parachutist badges from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
USJFCOM is a force of more than 1.16 million men and women, spanning USJFCOM's four service component commands and eight subordinate activities. USJFCOM personnel include members from each branch of the U.S. military, civil servants, contract employees, and consultants.
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