Colleagues and friends line up to bid farewell to Lt. Gen. William Burleson after he relinquished command of Eighth Army at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Friday, April 5, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — A three-star general bid an emotional farewell to hundreds of U.S. and South Korean soldiers as he relinquished command of Eighth Army during a ceremony here Friday.
Lt. Gen. Willard Burleson handed command to Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve and will soon retire after 36 years of military service. LaNeve comes to Eighth Army from U.S. Army Forces Command, where he was special assistant to the commander at Fort Liberty, N.C.
“The group of soldiers that you see here out in front represent the nearly 35,000 American and Korean soldiers and civilians that are part of Eighth Army today,” Burleson said, standing before a formation of over 400 soldiers, a Stryker vehicle and a Patriot missile launcher.
Burleson took command of Eighth Army on Oct. 2, 2020, and during his tenure continued large-scale military exercises by U.S. and South Korean troops aimed at deterring North Korea. The allied forces held their largest live-fire military drill in May.
Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve receives the Eighth Army colors during a change-of-command ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Friday, April 5, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve gives his first speech as Eighth Army commander at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Friday, April 5, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
U.S. Forces Korea commander Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, outgoing Eighth Army commander Lt. Gen. Willard Burleson and incoming commander Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve inspect troops at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Friday, April 4, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Burleson, previously the assistant chief of staff for operations for U.S. Forces Korea and commander of the 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., was commissioned in 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy. He went on to serve with the 82nd Airborne Division in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
His last day as a soldier will be June 1, according to a readout of his retirement certificate.
In his final remarks as commander, Burleson highlighted the alliance forged from the 1950-53 Korean War.
“The [South Korea]-US alliance that we have today stands as a testament to the sacrifices of those who have come before us,” he said. “Those who gave their lives and the thousands that are still missing, they must be remembered, always.”
Burleson, his voice filled with emotion, said he was “proud to be an American soldier” and that his service in South Korea “has been an honor of a lifetime.”
His son, Army Capt. Matthew Burleson, said he was “incredibly proud” of his father.
“I was always unsure of what I was going to do, but seeing him and living this life, I couldn’t think of a better job to be in,” he told Stars and Stripes at the ceremony.
LaNeve, in his first speech as Eighth Army commander, described Burleson as a “longtime friend, mentor and leader that I have the utmost respect for. I will work hard to maintain the momentum you’ve established for Eighth Army,” he said.
LaNeve, whose promotion to lieutenant general took effect Friday, was commissioned from the University of Arizona in 1990. His previous assignments include command of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty and the 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwöhr, Germany.
Eighth Army is headquartered at Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas, roughly 40 miles south of Seoul.
