Brig. Gen. Mark V. Phelan, deputy commander of the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., has been nominated to a critical post in the military transition program in Iraq, the Pentagon announced late Thursday.

Phelan has been assigned as commander of the Iraq National Counter-Terror Force Transition Team, part of the Multi-National Security Transition Command—Iraq.

According to a military biography, Phelan is former commander of the 3rd Special Forces Group.

In the Persian Gulf War, he commanded a company of the 5th Special Forces Group, training a Kuwaiti special forces battalion, a commando brigade and four infantry brigades, the Fayetteville Observer reported.