Service Uniform. He was then nominated and confirmed for assignment as the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet from October 2003 to February 2005; during that time, he was assigned to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following that, he received a rare third assignment as a four-star military officer, as Commander, U.S. Pacific Command from February 2005 until March 2007. At Pacific Command, Fallon took a conciliatory approach towards China, a position that drew the ire of hardliners including Washington Times reporter Bill Gertz. United States Central Command On January 4, 2007, President Bush nominated Fallon for his fourth four-star command to replace John Abizaid, who was retiring from the U.S. Army, as Commander of the United States Central Command, (CENTCOM). The United States Senate confirmed Admiral Fallon as the first Navy admiral to command CENTCOM on February 7. He relieved General Abizaid on March 16, 2007. As combatant commander of Central Command, Fallon was General David Petraeus's superior officer, who was at that time the commander of Multinational Force Iraq. Petraeus succeeded Fallon as CENTCOM commander, relieving the "Acting" CENTCOM Commander, then-Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey on October 31, 2008. As CENTCOM commander, Fallon often criticized Iran while also encouraging negotiations. On May 28, 2007, he noted that the United States would continue to have a military presence in the Middle East, despite Iran wishing otherwise. However, he also said, "We have to figure out a way to come to an arrangement with them [Iran]". In an Al-Jazeera broadcast on September 30, 2007, he criticized those publicly urging war, stating "This constant drum beat of conflict is what strikes me which is not helpful and not useful. [...] I expect that there will be no war and that is what we ought to be working for." He also stated that Iran was not as strong as it claimed, "Not militarily, economically or politically." and he referred to Iranians as ants, "These guys are ants. When the time comes, you crush them." Resignation On March 11, 2008 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced the resignation of Fallon as CENTCOM Commander. He stated that Fallon's reason for resigning centered on the controversy regarding a recent article in Esquire magazine which depicted him as openly criticizing the Bush administration with specific regard to American policy towards Iran. After his widely publicized resignation, interpreted as opposition to military action against Iran, the conservative