Charles Cleveland
Charles T. Cleveland is a major general in the United States Army, who commands the Special Operations Component of United States Central Command.
SOCCENT
He is the convening authority for controversial charges of prisoner abuse placed against three United States Navy SEALs in Iraq. A Fox News story said charges surround the SEALs’ handling of Ahmed Hashim Abed, who is believed to be connected to the 2004 slaying of four U.S. security contractors in Fallujah.[1] Headed by Representative Dan Burton, 40 Members of Congress have sent a letter to MG Cleveland, copied President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, the charges to be dropped. [2]
Iraq War
During the Iraq War, he was commander of the 10th Special Forces Group. Under unusual circumstances, when he headed Joint Special Operations Force-North, he had a significant number of conventional military units under operational or tactical control: [3]
- 173rd Airborne Brigade
- Task Force 1-63rd Armor (1st Infantry Division)
- 2-15th Field Artillery Headquarters (10th Mountain Division)
- 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The scope of this command would normally be assigned to a brigadier general or major general.
References
- ↑ Gidget Fuentes (24 November 2009), "SEALs charged in alleged assault of detainee", Navy Times
- ↑ 40 Congressmen Join Rep. Burton In Asking Brass To Drop Charges Against The Navy SEAL Three, Rep. Dan Burton, 10 December 2009
- ↑ Michael D. Hastings, The Integration of Conventional Forces and Special Operation Forces, Master's Thesis, Command and General Staff College