Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Bannister has been named the new commander of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division. Bannister worked as the deputy commander general for Fort Drum between 2009 and 2011 before taking a job with the Pentagon.
Anthony Keating, who works for the secretary of the Army, knows Bannister well. He says Bannister's familiarity with the North Country will help him make a smooth transition back to Fort Drum.
"I think he will fit in extremely well here because he knows so many people," Keating said.
Keating says Bannister's experience in the Army means he'll be able to empathize with soldiers and represent their interests.
"No one can tell him the he doesn't know what they are going through because he's held every rank there is in the Army," Keating explained.
Bannister enlisted in the Army in 1984, and was promoted to major general last year. He's been deployed to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and served multiple times as a brigade and battalion leader.
A date has not been set for when Bannister will take over for Maj. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who is the new commanding general of Fort Drum.