Gen. Xavier Brunson will take office as the new chief of U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) this week. 

Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the U.S. Department of Defense press secretary, said Thursday that Gen. Paul LaCamera will turn over command of USFK to Brunson at a ceremony on Friday. 

He said Commander Samuel Paparo of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command will preside over the ceremony.

Ryder said that on behalf of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the entire Department of Defense, the U.S. wants to extend its thanks to LaCamera for his leadership and lifetime of service to the nation, and salutes Brunson as he takes command. 

The USFK commander also serves as commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command.

U.S. President Joe Biden nominated Brunson to succeed LaCamera in September, and the Senate confirmed Brunson as the new commander later the same month.