Army general in SC works as a military ambassador

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AP) — The three-star general who’s taken charge of the Third Army in South Carolina has become a roving ambassador, traveling from his new command to more than a dozen nations around the Persian Gulf and in central Asia.

Lt. Gen. Vincent Brooks says his soldiers do much more than what has been in the public eye, particularly given the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brooks took command of the U.S. Army forces in a 20-nation region that ranges from Egypt to Afghanistan in June.

Brooks says his role as a military-diplomat fits in with the new strategy announced last week at the Pentagon, which looks to slim U.S. military forces and rely more on allied militaries.

His forces also oversaw the massive withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in December.