A new commander is taking over as the leader of Army soldiers in the Pacific.

Gen. Robert Brown succeeds Gen. Vincent Brooks as the commander of U.S. Army Pacific. Brooks is becoming the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea.

Brown will lead about 80,000 active duty soldiers around the Pacific including in Alaska, Hawaii and Japan.

Brooks handed over command to Brown during a ceremony at U.S. Army Pacific headquarters in Hawaii on Wednesday. Brown was promoted to a four-star general just before the event.

The West Point graduate comes to Hawaii from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he commanded the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. He has experience commanding the I Corps in Washington state and serving as a U.S. Army Pacific plans officer and U.S. Pacific Command staff officer.