Maj. Gen. Michael K. Nagata, former Pearl City resident, has been selected to become the next commander of the Special Operations Command Central at the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., the Army announced Tuesday.

Nagata, who was promoted to a two-star general last January, is currently deputy director for special operations on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

Nagata has deployed to combat missions in Somalia, the Balkans and Iraq.

Nagata was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1982. In 1984, he joined Army Special Forces and served in 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) until 1987.

Nagata assumed command of 1st Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group at Ft. Bragg in 1999, where he was responsible for the Special Forces Qualification Course. From 2000 to 2002, he served as a squadron commander in a Special Mission Unit. After graduating from the National War College, he served in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence until 2005. He then assumed command of a Special Mission Unit, and served there until 2008.

In 2009 Nagata served within the Intelligence Community as a Deputy Director for CounterTerrorism. From 2009 to 2011, he deployed to Islamabad, Pakistan where he served as the deputy chief of the Office of the Defense Representative to Pakistan.

He and his wife Barbara have five children.