In his role as Deputy Director of Operations, Brooks also became the spokesperson of CENTCOM, the main force in the Middle East. At that time he was the youngest general officer in the army. From 2006 to 2008 Brooks served as the Deputy Commanding General of 1st Cavalry Division, serving for fifteen months in Baghdad as second-in-command of the main effort (Multinational Division – Baghdad) stabilizing the Iraqi capital city and province during what is now called "The Surge." Upon return from Iraq, he took command of the 1st Cavalry Division until April 2008. Following an assignment as the Deputy Commanding General of the Army's III (Third) Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, he again took command of a combat unit, serving as the Commanding General of the historic 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley in Kansas from April 2009 to May 2011. He deployed the unit to Iraq for a year, serving as U.S. Division – South, responsible for securing the heavily Shi'ite areas of the southern half of the country. The headquarters was in Basra, Iraq. Following two years in a second division-level command, Brooks took command of U.S. Army Central and Third Army responsible for all U.S. Army operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia (from Egypt to Kazakhstan). During this time, Brooks oversaw the reduction of forces in Iraq as well as the build up of forces in Afghanistan.