New commander takes helm at 2nd U.S. Infantry Division in S. Korea

SEOUL, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Maj. Gen. Edward C. Cardon on Tuesday became the new commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in South Korea.
Cardon took command from Maj. Gen. Michael S. Tucker during a ceremony Tuesday at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, north of Seoul.
Commissioned in 1982, Cardon was previously a deputy commander for the U.S. Forces in Iraq. He has also served in Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In his remarks, Cardon stressed the importance of sustaining the partnership with South Korea.
"I want to emphasize that we remain committed to helping maintain and strengthen one of our nation's strongest and most enduring alliances -- that between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea," Cardon was quoted as saying by the division's public affairs office, referring to South Korea by its official name. "Our priorities will not change; they remain directly linked with the alliance's objectives."
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. The war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, and left the two Koreas technically at war.
The 2nd Infantry Division said it is the only permanently forward-deployed division in the U.S. Army.