Gen. Charles Flynn Returns To Hawaii As Commander Of US Army Pacific
Gen. Charles Flynn, the new commander of U.S. Army Pacific, is a respected officer who supporters say is the right leader to oversee much-needed changes to the 90,000-strong force as it faces rising tensions with China. But he takes the helm under the shadow of controversy over his older brother’s extreme political views.
The four-star general, who enjoys bipartisan support, has distanced himself from remarks by his brother, Michael Flynn, a conspiracy theorist who served as national security adviser in Donald Trump’s administration and was pardoned by the former president after being convicted of lying to the FBI.
“General Flynn has served our country with great distinction for three-and-a-half decades,” U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Hawaii Democrat, said in an email. “He has proven fully capable of separating duty and family.”
During a change of command ceremony on Friday at Fort Shafter, Flynn stressed the need to focus on transforming the military as the Pentagon winds down operations in Afghanistan and shifts its sights to the Pacific.
“Today, as China trends on an increasingly concerning path, presenting challenge to the free and open Pacific, the Army is charged to change once more,” Flynn said. Media weren’t allowed to attend the ceremony, but it was livestreamed.
Read more: https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/06/gen-charles-flynn-returns-to-hawaii-as-commander-of-us-army-pacific/