Obama nominates new Stratcom commander

U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, to be the next commander of U.S. Strategic Command (Stratcom), Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Monday in a statement. If confirmed by the Senate, Haney will succeed Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler at Stratcom, which has its headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. In the Pacific Fleet, Obama has nominated Harry Harris, assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to succeed Haney as U.S. Pacific Fleet commander. According to the Pentagon, Stratcom is one of nine unified commands in the Defense Department, and conducts global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, the services and appropriate U.S. government agencies to "deter and detect strategic attacks against the United States and its allies, and to defend the nation as directed."