WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- No matter how tough the Iraq war is, the U.S. military will be "dedicated to" the Mideast for decades to come, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

    According to Fox News, Gates said the United States will continue to stand by its allies in the region and is "dedicated to strengthening those commitments and defending our interests for decades to come."

    "And we will do all in our power to protect and defend our homeland," he added.

    Gates made the comments at a ceremony in Tampa, Fla., in which William Fallon will assume the position as the new head of U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which commands U.S. forces in the Mideast and Central Asia.

    Speaking to Fallon, Gates said, "you are one of the best strategic thinkers in uniform today. You are exactly the right person for this post."

    Fallon's appointment was part of a broad shakeup of the U.S. military's command structure in the Mideast that coincided with U.S. President George W. Bush's decision to add 21,500 combat troops in Iraq, with the primary goal of stabilizing Baghdad.

    He is the first navy officer to head Centcom, whose leadership traditionally has rotated between Army and Marine Corps officers.

    Fallon flew combat missions in Vietnam and spent 24 years with attack squadrons aboard aircraft carriers around the world.

    As head of Pacific Command for the past two years, Fallon led a force of 300,000 from all military services, about a third larger than the personnel he will command in the Mideast.