Updated at 1:13 p.m., Friday, February 2, 2007
Adm. Keating recommended to lead Pacific Command
| • | Adm. Keating biography |
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
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Keating, who heads Northern Command, would replace Adm. William J. Fallon, who has been at the helm of Pacific Command for just under two years, and is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead U.S. Central Command and oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gates noted that Keating commanded a carrier group based in Japan, and later the Navy's 5th Fleet during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After serving as director of the Joint Staff, Keating became commander of Northern Command, where he oversaw the active-duty military's response to Hurricane Katrina, Gates said.
If confirmed by Congress, Keating would take over the Pentagon's largest global command as China undergoes a worrisome military expansion and North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear device.
The Pacific Command, headquartered in Honolulu, covers all land, air and naval forces from the west coast of the United States to the east coast of Africa, including the Pacific and Indian oceans.
