Fort Campbell gets a new commanding general

Fort Campbell's next commanding general will be rather familiar with the Army post.

On Friday, the Department of Defense announced Maj. Gen. Andrew P. Poppas will take over as Fort Campbell's next commanding general. Poppas will replace Maj. Gen. Gary J. Volesky, who has served in the position since taking over for Maj. Gen. James C. McConville in 2013.

It was unclear Friday when exactly Poppas would take over as the commanding general or where Volesky will head next.

Poppas has most recently served as director, force management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, in Washington, D.C.

The new commanding general has also spent quite a lot of time at Fort Campbell in his military career.

Poppas led Fort Campbell's 1st Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan from May 2010 to May 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2013, he was promoted from colonel to brigadier general in a ceremony conducted by McConville at Fort Campbell. While at Fort Campbell, Poppas served as the 101st's deputy commanding general for operations, the post currently held by Brigadier Gen. Steve Gilland.

Poppas is from Janesville, Wis., and graduated from the US Military Academy in 1988.

His other assignments include command of an infantry company in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division and the 82nd Advance Airborne School; command of 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division which became 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He commanded the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq from August 2006 to November 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Poppas also served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University in 2011.

Volesky will leave Poppas in command of a versatile division that has spent recent years on two different types of deployments.

Volesky led the 101st to west Africa to help fight Ebola in 2014 and 2015. The soldiers were initially expected to stay nine to 12 months, but came home after only five months after helping get the virus under control.

This year, Volesky led the division to Iraq to take over command for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve as part of the fight against the Islamic State. Volesky and others returned from Iraq earlier this month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach Ray Howze at 615-664-2251 or on Twitter @rayhowze1.