Army's 18th Airborne Corps takes over command of ground forces

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq -- The U.S. Army's 18th Airborne Corps formally took control of coalition ground forces in Iraq on Thursday, bringing in a new commander and staff to replace 3rd Corps, which is returning to Fort Hood, Texas.

Lt. Gen. John Vines became the new commander of what is formally known as Multi-National Force-Iraq. A 34-year veteran infantryman, he took over from Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz at a ceremony held in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces near Baghdad International Airport.

The transfer of authority was conducted by Gen. George Casey Jr., who commands all forces in Iraq.

He said Metz's troops had made possible the transfer of sovereignty to a new Iraqi government in June, as well as the Jan. 30 elections.

Casey said Vines' would oversee even more changes in Iraq, including the installation of a new transitional government, the drafting and adopting of a constitution and elections in December for new, fully constitutional government.

"The year will also see a progressive transfer of the counterinsurgency campaign to increasingly capable Iraqi security forces," Casey said. "Each of these transitions and the coalition's role in them, is singularly focused on helping Iraq secure the liberty it obtained on June 28 and cemented on June 30."

Metz thanked his troops for their hard work while in Iraq and Vines praised the outgoing troops for a job well done, with special emphasis placed on the success of the elections.