1st Infantry Division to Command Regional Command East in Afghanistan

The 1st Infantry Division will take over command of Regional Command East in Afghanistan from the 1st Cavalry Division. The switch takes place in April 2012. RC East includes 14 provinces and a 450 mile border region with Pakistan. Even though ISAF is starting to withdraw forces the emphasis on the fighting is supposed to switch from RC South to RC East this fighting season. The commander of the 1st Infantry Division, MG William Mayville, is a very experienced Afghan hand - with three previous Afghan tours. His most recent tour was in 2009-2012 as the operations chief for Gen. Stanley McChrystal. RC East consists of five U.S. combat brigades and two ISAF brigades (one Polish and one French). Read more in "Storied Army unit moving into Afghanistan's east", Fox News, March 20, 2012.