SEOUL — U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. B.B. Bell praised the outgoing deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command on Friday, calling Gen. Kim Byung-kwan a “brilliant tactician” with sound judgment.

“I deeply valued your insights. You understand joint and combined warfare better than anyone I’ve ever met,” Bell said during a change-of-command ceremony at Knight Field.

Kim, who also served as the commander of the Ground Component Command, is retiring after 36 years in the military. He is being replaced by Gen. Lee Sung-chool.

“As the deputy commander, I will spearhead the efforts to bring about the creative change at the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command headquarters, including the change of the command system,” Lee said.

During three major peninsulawide exercises, Kim “often led Combined Forces Command in my absence during our warfighter exercises,” Bell said. “He was the first deputy commander ever to do so.”

Bell told Kim’s wife, Bae Jung-hee, that she had become one of his family’s dearest friends. As the general spoke, his wife, Katie Bell, held Bae’s hand and dabbed her eyes.

Bell said the two militaries are deterring a fundamental threat from the north.

“Should North Korea attack the Republic of Korea, we will defeat them quickly and decisively and end the fighting on our terms,” he said.

Stars and Stripes reporter Hwang Hae-rym contributed to this report.

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