WASHINGTON, March 4 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush praised Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who served as a commander of U.S. troops in Iraq for 15 months.
Odierno served under Army Gen. David Petraeus as the commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq.
"You and General Petraeus were an unbelievably strong one-two combination," Bush said at the White House ceremony honoring Odierno.
Bush promised Odierno during the ceremony that "the gains that you and your teams have made will continue on, because stakes in Iraq are essential for peace, essential for freedom and essential for the security of this country."
Odierno served a combined 30 months of service in Iraq. He is nominated for his fourth star and for the position of vice chief of staff in the U.S. Army.
