Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown, the commanding general of Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, will be the next leader of all Army forces in the Pacific, the Army announced today.

The Army installation in Kansas reported that Brown relinquished command of Fort Leavenworth on Thursday, and will become the commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific in Hawaii and will lead about 80,000 soldiers in the Pacific basin stationed on the northwest coast of Alaska to Japan.

Brown also was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and will receive his fourth star with the new assignment.

He will replace Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, who has been assigned as commander of U.S. Forces Korea. Brooks’ new South Korea assignment also was confirmed by the Senate Thursday night.

Brown had served as the commander of Fort Leavenworth and a training facility called the Combined Arms Center since February 2014.

Before assuming command at Fort Leavenworth, Brown led I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, 2012 to 2014

Brown graduated United States Military Academy in May 1981.

He served as a battalion commander of a mechanized infantry battalion at Fort Hood; a Stryker Brigade commander at Fort Lewis, Wa., and deployed to Iraq; and commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence (Infantry and Armor Forces) and Fort Benning, Georgia.

Brown has also served in numerous staff positions including executive assistant to the Pacific Command commander and director of training and exercises at Camp Smith; deputy commanding general for support of the 25th Infantry Division including a deployment to Iraq; and Chief of Staff United States Army Europe and deputy commanding general U.S. Army NATO.

Brown’s decorations include the Distinguished Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters) and the Army Achievement Medal. He has earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Brown holds a master of education with Instructional Technology emphasis from the University of Virginia, and a master of science in national security and Strategic Studies from National Defense University.

Also confirmed by the Senate Thursday was the appointment of current Pacific Forces leader, Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson as the new head of U.S. Northern Command. She will become the first woman to serve as a combatant commander.

She is now stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor -Hickam.

Robinson is a senior air battle manager with more than 900 flight hours in the E-3B/C and E-8C aircraft, and has previously held leadership roles in U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Air Combat Command.