An admiral who helped lead the months-long fight against the Houthis in the Red Sea is up for the top Navy position in Europe and Africa.

Vice Adm. George Wikoff, currently the commander of the 5th Fleet and Naval Forces Central Command, was nominated to serve as the head of U.S. Naval Force Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command Naples. If confirmed, he’ll bring more than a year of experience overseeing the Navy’s longest fight since World War II to the European and African theater and to NATO.

His nomination was part of a series of proposed new appointments released by the Pentagon earlier this month. He faces congressional confirmation before he can take over.

A former fighter pilot who served as part of carrier air wings and as a TOPGUN instructor, Wikoff took over as head of

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