General Michael Flynn's Brother to Command All US Army Pacific Forces

By Jack Cowhick February 14, 2021 at 11:45am

Army Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, the brother of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, was assigned late last month to be the commander of the U.S. Army Pacific forces, the Department of Defense said.

Charles Flynn, who will be based out of Fort Shafter, Hawaii, had his promotion to four-star general confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a December voice vote. He’s replacing Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, who had held the post since October 2019.

The post has received considerable attention in recent years, especially due to an aggressive China. According to Army Times, a new force generation model is currently being rolled out in order to “prepare for a future fight against a peer adversary.”

“We are trying to create a model that provides units predictable windows to modernize. And that will be especially important with capabilities that begin to enter into the force,” Charles Flynn told Army Times last October.

Congratulations to Lt. Gen. Charlie Flynn and his family on his promotion. Charlie is the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for Operations, Plans, and Training — a tremendous responsibility. We know he will continue to excel. pic.twitter.com/Hs0OA9ghAq

— GEN James C. McConville (@ArmyChiefStaff) July 4, 2019

Flynn’s new assignment adds to what is already a distinguished resume.

He began his 27-year career by being commissioned as a second lieutenant, serving in various leadership positions in the 82nd Airborne Division, including Rifle Platoon Leader and Batallion Staff Officer.

Later promoted to captain, Flynn commanded parts of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment and the 75th Ranger Regiment. It was during this time when then-Captain Flynn led his troops through Operations Desert Shield/Storm and Uphold Democracy.

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Flynn was eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel and in 2002 was placed in command of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. This battalion served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as Operation Enduring Freedom.

Flynn was also assigned to the Pentagon as the Executive Officer to the Director of the Joint Staff. Then in 2010, he was reassigned to Afghanistan under Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Before being tapped to lead the U.S. Army Pacific, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for G-3/5/7 Operations, Plans and Training, responsible for orchestrating the mobilization of the continental U.S. Army Reserve — an assignment he received in June 2019, Stars and Stripes reported.

The Flynn name has also been a major force in politics in recent years.

Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and Charles’ older brother, briefly served as former President Donald Trump’s national security advisor from January to February 2017, resigning roughly three weeks after being sworn into the post due to ongoing investigations into his connections to Russia.

The retired general pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017; however, the charges were dropped in May 2020 by the Department of Justice, with federal prosecutors saying at the time that the “continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice.”

Charles Flynn, meanwhile, found himself embroiled in a minor controversy following the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill incursion. Contrary to the Army’s initial denial, Flynn said in a statement to The Washington Post that he was present in the room where the phone call to request deployment of the National Guard took place.

“I entered the room after the call began and departed prior to the call ending as I believed a decision was imminent from the Secretary [of the Army] and I needed to be in my office to assist in executing the decision,” he said in a statement to The Post.

The controversy did not stop the Department of Defense from announcing five days after The Post’s story was published that it was assigning Flynn to his new command.

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