New AFRICOM Chief

Army Gen. Carter Ham has been nominated to become the next head of U.S. Africa Command, according to a Pentagon statement released this afternoon. Ham, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army in Germany, would replace AFRICOM's first-ever commander, Army Gen. William "Kip" Ward.

According to Ham's biography, the general has served as the deputy director for regional operations on the Joint Staff. Ham assumed command of the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan. in August 2006 and served there until July 2007, when he was again assigned to the Joint Staff as director for operations, J3.

Ham began his Army service as an enlisted infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division before attending John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH, according to the bio, and was commissioned in the Infantry as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1976.

No word yet on what Ward's next assignment will be.