By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter


U.S. President George W. Bush has nominated Gen. Burwell B. Bell, commander of U.S. ground troops in Europe, to replace Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, chief of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the USFK said Tuesday.

``Gen. Bell will replace Gen. LaPorte at a date to be determined in early 2006,’’ the USFK said in a statement.

Gen. Bell has concurrently served as commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Allied Land Component Command located in Heidelberg, Germany, since March 2004.

His appointment was made in close consultation and with the full concurrence of the South Korean government, the statement said.

The appointment of the USFK commander is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, it added.

Gen. Bell served as an Armor Battalion Operations officer at Camp Casey in Tongduchon, north of Seoul, from June 1979 to June 1980. He also has extensive experience with the Korean Theater as former commander of the 3rd U.S. Corps at Fort Hood in Texas.

Gen. LaPorte will also quit as commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) and the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), according to the USFK.

The outgoing U.S. general, who has been at the helm of the USFK since May 2002, is the longest-serving commander in the USFK’s history.

The U.S. maintains 32,500 troops in South Korea as a deterrent force against communist North Korea. The USFK plans to reduce its troops to 25,000 by 2008 under Washington’s plan to reorganize its global forces.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr