Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg (Courtesy U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, commander of U.S. Army Africa/Southern European Task Force, has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and to serve as the U.S. military representative on the NATO Military Committee in Belgium, the Defense Department has announced.
Hogg will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Donahue II, who is now serving as deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command in Virginia, according to U.S. Army Africa.
A change of command is slated for Aug. 3 at U.S. Army Africa headquarters in Vicenza, Italy.
Hogg, who assumed command of USARAF in 2010, previously served as the deputy commander of the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan. If confirmed for the NATO position, he will be responsible for representing U.S. interests and assist in developing overall strategic policy for the alliance.
Meanwhile, Donahue will take charge of the Army’s efforts in Africa. U.S. Army Africa was established as the service component to U.S. Africa Command soon after AFRICOM became fully operational in 2008. USARAF missions have ranged from providing support for military operations in Libya to training programs aimed at bolstering the capabilities of African partners.
Like the Army, other service components reorganized in recent years to meet the needs of AFRICOM. However, the demand for efficiencies has prompted some streamlining. In the case of the Air Force, its Africa-focused 17th Air Force was inactivated earlier this year as part of an effort to save money, returning responsibility for Africa missions to U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
However, Lt. Col. Peggy Kageleiry, an Army spokeswoman, said there are no such plans to inactivate U.S. Army Africa or merge it into U.S. Army Europe.
