Who is he?

General Vincent Brooks took command of the Third Army and Army Forces Central, based at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, in 2011. He has over three decades’ experience as a commissioned officer, having served in Germany, South Korea, Kosovo, and the Middle East. He graduated first of his class from West Point Academy in 1980 and was the first African-American in the school’s history to be named cadet brigade commander. General Brooks grew up in a career military family in Anchorage, Alaska.

General Vincent Brooks. Source: U.S. Government Work.

Why is he in the news?

President Barack Obama on February 11 nominated General Brooks to the post of commander of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), the army component of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). The decision also signaled the upgrading of USARPAC from a three-star to four-star command, signifying its increasing importance as part of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia Pacific. USARPAC’s area of responsibility stretches from the waters off Alaska to the western border of India. General Brooks assumed his new post on July 2 at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. He will lead over 60,000 soldiers.

What can we expect from him?

Brooks is the first four-star general to lead USARPAC since 1974. The Navy and Air Force have long had four-star commanders in the Pacific. Since General Brooks is well-positioned to develop peer-to-peer relationships with top army commanders across the Asia Pacific, he is expected to play an important role in boosting the Army’s standing in the region. Upon taking command of USARPAC, Brooks said he is looking to hold additional exercises and exchange expertise with foreign counterparts in the region as he helps implement the repositioning of U.S. forces to the Asia Pacific. General Brooks’ appointment, together with those of other key officials, reaffirms the Obama administration’s commitment to its overall rebalancing strategy to Asia and the Pacific.