Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, incoming commander of U.S. Southern Command, takes the command guidon from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during the SOUTHCOM change-of-command ceremony in Doral, Fla., Nov. 7, 2024. (Erica Bechard/U.S. Southern Command)

U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey assumed command of U.S. Southern Command in a ceremony held at the command’s headquarters in Doral, Fla. on Thursday, according to a SOUTHCOM press release.

The change-of-command ceremony was presided over by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and attended by security leaders from 32 Latin American and Caribbean nations, the release said.

Holsey, who previously served as the military deputy commander of SOUTHCOM and was promoted to the rank of admiral shortly before the ceremony, is taking over from U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, who is retiring.

Richardson was the first woman to command SOUTHCOM, while Holsey is the command’s first African American leader. Austin hailed the distinction.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re making history today. We’re making America more secure for sure,” Austin said, according to a Pentagon transcript. “But we’re also making history today — as the first woman commander of SOUTHCOM passes the baton to the first African-American commander of SOUTHCOM.”

Gen. Laura J. Richardson attaches the Joint Meritorious Unit Award streamer to the command guidon during the SOUTHCOM change-of-command ceremony in Doral, Fla., Nov. 7, 2024. U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey assumed command from Army Gen. Laura Richardson, who is retiring after 38 years of service. (Samantha Oblander/U.S. Southern Command)

Austin said that both Richardson and Holsey have broken barriers throughout their careers. Aside from being the first woman to lead SOUTHCOM, Richardson was also the first woman to command U.S. Army North, Austin noted. Meanwhile Holsey made history by becoming the inaugural commander of the International Maritime Security Construct / Coalition Task Force Sentinel, according to the SOUTHCOM release.

Holsey came under fire during a Senate confirmation hearing earlier in the year for his work on a report recommending steps the Navy could take to improve diversity and inclusion. His service record was not at issue in the hearing, however.

Austin also praised Richardson for her handling of the SOUTHCOM’s re-engagement in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic — it had suspended most of its joint exercises prior to her taking command in October 2021 — and the command’s support of the multinational security mission in Haiti.

Austin, Holsey and Richardson all emphasized the importance of international partnerships to SOUTHCOM’s efforts, a phenomenon underscored by the presence of numerous high-ranking officials from partner nations at the ceremony.

All three mentioned the usual challenges faced by the command — like transnational crime — but also discussed the rising role of great power competitors.

Richardson accused China of taking advantage of and extracting from the region “while pretending to invest.” Russia, she said, “continues to bring warships into the region, while spreading disinformation through Russia Today en Español, Sputnik Mundo and Telesur.”

In a similar vein, Holsey said that “SOUTHCOM is at the front of strategic competition,” according to the release. “The People’s Republic of China and Russia … seek to undermine democracy while gaining power and influence in the region.”

SOUTHCOM is one of the Defense Department’s 11 unified combatant commands and one of six regionally-focused commands, responsible for Central and South America and the Caribbean.