Olson, commander of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks since 2002, led 5,000 of the division's soldiers to Afghanistan last March in the group's largest single troop movement in history.

He also served as the No. 2 U.S. commander in Afghanistan until March.

Olson will replace Vice Adm. Gary Roughead as deputy commander at the Pacific Command's headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith.

He will be the first Army general to serve in the post since Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Lowe was acting deputy commander from June to August 2002.

Olson earned a master's degree in International Relations from John Hopkins University. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

The Army last month announced that Brig. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon would replace Olson as commander at Schofield Barracks.

Earlier this year, Adm. William J. Fallon succeeded Adm. Thomas Fargo as commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, based at Camp H.M. Smith overlooking Pearl Harbor.

The Pacific Command is the largest of the United States' nine unified military operations. Its commander leads 300,000 Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force troops in an area of more than 100 million square miles that includes flash points such as North Korea, Taiwan and China.