Adm. Alvin Holsey, the chief of US Southern Command who purportedly conflicted with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the legality of US military actions in the Caribbean, formally resigned on Friday in a ceremony in Florida where he passed the authority of the command to his second-in-command.
Holsey extended thanks to his spouse, his offspring — one of whom is a currently deployed Naval aviator — and others who were present at the function.
“I’m reminded that in existence, we don’t recall days, we treasure moments. Those we guide don’t follow designations, they adhere to bravery, and they cherish the instants and how you made them sense,” Holsey remarked. “They recall those who pay attention and treated them with fairness and regard.”
Holsey will be succeeded by Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, who has been serving as his deputy at Southern Command since Holsey was promoted to the position last year.
Southern Command bears the responsibility for overseeing US military activities in most of Latin America and the Caribbean Sea.
Holsey’s departure was made public in October by Hegseth, under a year into Holsey’s tenure and merely days following the US executing its fifth assault on an alleged narcotics transport vessel off the shore of Venezuela. Hegseth and Holsey experienced differences regarding US campaigns in the area, two sources informed about the situation previously informed CNN.
Hegseth believed Holsey was not progressing sufficiently proactively to challenge drug smugglers in the Southern Command operational zone, CNN has revealed, while Southern Command personnel voiced apprehension about the lawfulness of the strikes.
Those concerns reached a peak in an October 6 conference at the Pentagon involving Holsey, Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. One of the sources familiar with the circumstances mentioned Holsey suggested vacating his station during that assembly, CNN has reported, but the suggestion was postponed.
The legitimacy of the US assaults against supposed drug boats has faced heightened review in recent weeks as legislators have sought clarifications regarding a subsequent strike performed in September that resulted in the passing of two survivors from an initial engagement.
Caine, who chaired Friday’s observance, described Holsey as a “reserved professional” and “an exceptional individual who has consistently led with your spirit, your intellect, and committed fully every single day of your commitment.”
“You’ve generated a tremendous shift for our joint force. You generated a tremendous shift here in this headquarters. You generate a tremendous shift for this nation…we shall forever remain appreciative for the endowment of a superb pattern for your and your family’s commitment and surrender, and for the manner in which you’ve embraced the professional astuteness of guidance and service,” Cain stated. “The effect that you’ve had will endure for a considerable duration.”
Holsey’s replacement, Pettus, is an Air Force Academy alumnus and an aviator of the F-15e and A-10 with over 2,700 flying hours, per his official biography. Before joining Southern Command, Pettus commanded the 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Air Forces Southern furnishes “air, space and cyberspace capacities across Latin America and the Caribbean,” Pettus’ biography notes.
Pettus has been at Southern Command functioning as Holsey’s deputy throughout the supposed drug vessel strike effort that commenced in September at a juncture that the US has additionally been assembling personnel and resources in the area and conducting training exercises off the coast of Venezuela, even reopening a military post in Puerto Rico that had been shuttered for decades.
CNN has reported that a substantial proportion of all deployed US Naval resources are presently in the operational zone, encompassing the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Those formations represent around 15,000 US personnel, multiple guided-missile destroyers, an attack submarine, a special operations vessel, and diverse fighter planes.
The turnover of Holsey’s command likewise occurs merely days following the US acquiring an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela; President Donald Trump merely stated that the vessel was seized for “very sound rationale,” in remarks to reporters Wednesday. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a social media announcement confirming the acquisition that the tanker had been subjected to US sanctions for several years “due to its participation in an illicit petroleum shipping network supporting foreign terrorist entities.”
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