ARLINGTON, Va. — Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli has become Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ new senior military assistant, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday.

In his new capacity, Chiarelli will serve as the principal office adviser to the secretary. He also will serve as the Senior Military Liaison to the military services, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the combatant commands.

The former commander of Multi-National Corps — Iraq, Chiarelli replaces Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor Renuart, who has been nominated to become the new head of U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland security.

Chiarelli has been on the job about two weeks, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters Friday.

But as of Friday, Chiarelli’s official Army resume had not been updated, listing him as “Special Assistant to the Commander, United States Central Command for the Development of Regional Military Capability.”

Prior to that, Chiarelli served as the day-to-day commander in Iraq from January to December 2006. He also has had posts in Germany and Belgium.

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