By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

REAR Adm. William D. French has been assigned as the new commander of the U.S. Naval Forces, replacing Rear Adm. Charles J. Leidig.
The new assignment was announced yesterday by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen.
French, who currently serves as commander of the Navy Region Northwest, Bangor, Wash., will also assume command of the Navy Region Marianas and serve as the U.S. Pacific Command representative.
His responsibilities will include Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau.
Leidig is being assigned as director of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Sixth Fleet, plans and operations/deputy commander, Sixth Fleet/commander submarines, Allied Naval Forces South/commander, Submarine Group Eight, Naples, Italy.
From December 1995 until August 1998, Rear Adm. French served as the commanding officer of the USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716) home ported in San Diego, California.
Immediately following his command tour, he served as the deputy commander at Submarine Squadron Eleven and then attended the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. His next assignment was the chief of the Strategy and Policy Division at the United States Strategic Command in Omaha, Neb.
In May 2002, he relieved as Commander Submarine Squadron Three in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
During his tour, all six of the Squadron’s submarines deployed, five of which conducted operations in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.