Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, left, receives the flag from Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the U.S. Africa Command change of command ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, on Aug. 15, 2025. The outgoing commander, Marine Gen. Michael Langley, can be seen at right. (Emely Eckels/U.S. Army)
An Air Force pilot with thousands of flight hours and experience leading the fight against extremism recently assumed the top job at the Germany-headquartered U.S. Africa Command.
Gen. Dagvin Anderson relieved Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley of command during a ceremony Friday at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart.
Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided over the ceremony, according to a command statement.
Anderson has more than 3,400 flight hours, including 738 in combat. His previous assignments include director of Joint Force Development on the Joint Staff and leadership of Special Operations Command-Africa and Joint Task Force-Quartz, AFRICOM said.
The task force oversaw the AFRICOM mission to reposition U.S. forces from Somalia to other bases in east Africa.
“I am not new to the challenges of Africa,” Anderson said at the ceremony, adding that he is very familiar with rising threats vying for influence on the continent and “seeking to destabilize and undo the world order that we enjoy.”
Marine Gen. Michael Langley salutes the formation during the U.S. Africa Command change of command ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, on Aug. 15, 2025. Langley handed over the AFRICOM reins to Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson at the ceremony. (Emely Eckels/U.S. Army)
Russia and China are among the top challengers to the U.S. for gaining a foothold in Africa, offering themselves as commercial and military partners in countries ranging from Libya to the Central African Republic.
Since taking command of AFRICOM in August 2022, Langley worked to strengthen partnerships with African nations and sharpen operational readiness, according to the statement.
He also oversaw the command during a period when military coups toppled governments in several western and central African countries, including Niger, which previously hosted about 1,000 American service members at two bases.
In August 2024, U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from Niger, a west African country once considered the centerpiece of Washington’s security strategy in the Sahel region.
Langley, who was commissioned in 1985, will soon retire, the command said in a post Friday on X.
During the ceremony, Grady underscored the importance of AFRICOM in U.S. national security.
“Militarily, the theater is a nexus where global competitors test our resolve (and) where violent extremist organizations seek sanctuary,” Grady said in the statement, adding that “instability ripples far beyond” Africa.
