By unanimous vote, the Senate on Wednesday approved the nomination of Army Gen. David Petraeus to be commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, replacing Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal who was removed last week. President Obama, who nominated Petraeus June 23, thanked the Senate for acting quickly. “Petraeus is a pivotal part of our effort to succeed in Afghanistan,” said Obama. Petraeus’ “unrivaled experience,” coupled with the Senate’s expeditious action, “will ensure we do not miss a beat in our strategy to break the Taliban’s momentum and build Afghan capacity,” added Obama. Petraeus has been serving as head of US Central Command. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Allen, CENTCOM deputy commander, will serve as acting commander until a replacement for Petraeus is in place. (AFPS report by Jim Garamone) (Obama statement)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.