Vice Adm. Harry Harris Jr. was promoted to commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet this week, the Military Times reported. Harris will replace Adm. Cecil Haney, who recently stepped down from the Pacific Fleet to preside over the U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska.
Since the change in command comes in the midst of the federal shutdown, adjustments have been made to the standard protocol. While a ceremony is still scheduled to take place at Pearl Harbor, which is the Pacific Fleet headquarters, the chief of naval operations is unable to attend and no programs will be handed out at the event, the news source reported. Taking the chief of naval operations' place is U.S. Pacific Command commander Adm. Samuel Locklear.
According to the U.S. Navy's official website, Harris previously served as the assistant to the chairman of the joint chief of staff, as well as chief speechwriter. Born in Japan, Harris has completed graduate studies at attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and Oxford University, and served three tours in various positions on the Navy staff, logging more than 4,400 flight hours – 400 of which were during combat.