Army Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II took command of the anti-Islamic State effort Tuesday, replacing Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who had overseen the coalition since August 2016.
The transition took place Tuesday at a transition ceremony in front of hundreds of U.S. and coalition troops and was presided over by U.S. Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel. Funk is leaving the III Armed Corps, which previously lead the coalition from September 2015 to August 2016, to take over control of Operation Inherent Resolve and lead coalition forces.
“When III Corps was here last, they were instrumental in greatly increasing the pressure on ISIS and setting conditions by training and equipping Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian opposition groups,” Votel said in a statement. “Their hard work led to the recapturing of Fallujah and the airfield at Qayyarah-posturing the ISF to begin clearing Mosul, the ISIS stronghold in Iraq.”
Funk was born in Fort Hood, Texas, and then moved on from Fort Knox High School to become a commissioned Army officer through the ROTC program at Montana State University. Funk has commanded at every level, according to an Army release.
Funk delivered a statement at the ceremony located in Kuwait stressing that the coalition is making serious progress against ISIS.
“ISIS’ brutality forces us to look deep into the heart of darkness. They condone the systematic murder of women and children, the enslavement of religious minorities, and the torture and execution of captured prisoners,” Funk said. “As a result of the magnificent work of this strong Coalition, real change is happening. ISIS is on the run.”
Funk’s assumption of command comes at a time when Iraqi forces are preparing to launch an assault on Hawija, a town controlled by ISIS in Iraq. Hawija borders Kurdish territory.
“The very existence of ISIS poses a threat to the civilized world and our way of life. We must defeat them, and our collective effort WILL defeat them,” Funk said.
[contentcards url=”http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/05/heres-the-new-general-in-charge-of-destroying-isis/” target=”_blank”]Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].