Maj. Gen. James M. Richardson has became the new Deputy Commanding General-Joint Operational Corps Headquarters-Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said in a press release Wednesday.
According to the ISAF, Gen. Richardson assumed the new post in a ceremony held in Kabul on Tuesday. Richardson, who replaces Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, also becomes Commander of the US National Support Element Command-Afghanistan.
Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Commander of the ISAF and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), who presided over the change of command, termed Richardson "a warrior with the right blend of experience for the job," adding, "I know you will perform magnificently."
Gen. Richardson will oversee all US Forces throughout Afghanistan and posture the force for future.
Richardson said since his first deployment to Afghanistan in 2001, "the Afghan National Security Forces have come a long way in such a short time. The Afghans should be proud of where they stand today."
"The future is bright for this country and we are just here to help them," said Richardson, who is on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.
"I left Afghanistan 14 months ago, and we had just started the retrograde mission, working with USFOR-A. We didn't finish the mission and the Army decided I needed to come back and finish the mission, that's why I'm here. I told them it's because the most important thing in war is how it ends, and Afghanistan is now on the cusp of transition," he said.
Richardson's predecessor Gen. Dahl, will now serve as the Deputy Commanding General, I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
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