U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated Army Maj. Gen. Bernard S. Champoux for appointment as commanding general of the 8th U.S. Army stationed in South Korea, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Once his duty assignment is confirmed, Champoux will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and succeed current commander Lieut. Gen. John D. Johnson. He currently serves as deputy commanding general of the EUSA.

The nomination for the top army post based in South Korea comes at a crucial juncture as Seoul and Washington prepare for the transfer of wartime operational control slated for December 2015.

For the OPCON transfer, the allies are in consultation over setting up a new combined force mechanism, deepening missile defense cooperation and maintaining a robust deterrence against North Korea.

The communist state increased its missile threat this week with the success of a long-range rocket. The rocket fired on Wednesday is presumed to have a range of more than 10,000 km, enough to reach the U.S. mainland.

Champoux has served in command and staff assignments from platoon through division in light, mechanized, and motorized infantry and spent multiple tours with the Rangers. Champoux commanded two Ranger companies ― the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry (Wolfhounds), 25th Infantry Division (Light) and the 2nd Brigade (Commando), 10th Mountain Division (Light) and Fort Drum, New York.

He received his BA in Sociology from Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire in 1976. Commissioned into the Infantry through Officers Candidate School in 1977, Champoux’s military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, U.S. Army War College and Joint General Officers’ CAPSTONE Course.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)