Pyeongtaek: The commander of the U.S. Eighth Army based in South Korea has officially handed over command on Wednesday to take on the role of senior military assistant to the U.S. secretary of defense, the command said. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve relinquished command of the Eighth Army in a ceremony held at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 65 kilometers south of Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, LaNeve, who has led the Eighth Army and served as the chief of staff of South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command since April last year, was nominated for the Pentagon post last month. "It is not just a military friendship, it is a bond between our two countries that has been earned in blood and sacrifice," he was quoted as saying, calling the alliance a "legacy."
Brig. Gen. Sean Crockett will take over as the Eighth Army's acting commander. As the lead ground component for the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea overseeing most U.S. Army forces on the Korean Peninsula, the Eighth Army also supports deployments by rotational units.