Petraeus takes top job at CentCom

General David H. Petraeus smiles as he places his hand over his heart in appreciation during a one-hour ceremony in which he took U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Friday morning. Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates looks on from the right. [Kainaz Amaria, Times]

Gen. David Petraeus took over U.S. Central Command during a one-hour ceremony this morning at MacDill Air Force Base, assuming responsibility for military operations in the most volatile part of the world -- the Middle East.

Under a large American flag and with 84 members of Petraeus' West Point class of 1974 looking on, he accepted the CentCom battle flag from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Petraeus is widely credited with being the architect of the Iraq surge that many believe led to a dramatic reduction in violence. Now expectations are high as Petraeus tries the same thing in Afghanistan, where battle against extremists is on the rise.

Petraeus and Gates said little of substance about the path before them in the Middle East, exchanging the kind of praise that is the usual hallmark of military change-of-command ceremonies.

Petraeus told a crowd of several hundred people that the war in Afghanistan would require a "comprehensive approach" that includes tackling the underlying problems that give rise to extremism.

"The way ahead will be difficult," Petraeus said.

Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey relinquished command to Petraeus. The pair attended the same West Point class. Both Gates and Petraeus offered praise for the job he did at CentCom.

Joking about Petraeus' fame that stems from his success in Iraq, Gates said, "Dave, you probably require less introduction than anyone I know."

Petraeus, 55, a father of two children, served as the ground commander in Iraq. He is the former commander of the famed 101st Airborne division and has held a wide variety of command and staff positions.

- William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer