General Ray Odierno took command of U.S.-led forces in Iraq on Tuesday, faced with the challenge of ensuring security gains do not unravel at a time when American troop levels are being reduced, Reuters reported Odierno replaced General David Petraeus at a ceremony presided over by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said the two generals had formed an "incredible team" during the deployment of 30,000 extra U.S. troops to Iraq last year. The towering, shaven-headed Odierno served as the number 2 U.S. commander in Iraq for 15 months until February.
