Martin Dempsey

Martin Dempsey
Born	March 14, 1952 (1952-03-14) (age 59) Goshen, New York, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1974–present
Rank	General
Commands held	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Chief of Staff U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment 1st Armored Division
Battles/wars	Gulf War Iraq War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal (4) Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star (2) with Valor

General Martin E. Dempsey, USA (born March 14, 1952) is the 18th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He previously served 149 days as the 37th Chief of Staff of the Army from April 11, 2011 to September 7, 2011. Prior to that, he served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command from December 8, 2008 to April 11, 2011, as Acting Commander, U.S. Central Command from March 24, 2008 to October 30, 2008, as Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command from August 2007 to Mar 23, 2008 and as Commanding General, Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq (MNSTC-I) from August 2005 to August 2007. As Chairman, Dempsey is the highest ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces. He assumed his current assignment on October 1, 2011.^[1]

Biography

Dempsey attended John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen, New York and received a commission as an Armor officer upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1974. As a company-grade officer, he served in 1st Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment as the S-1 OIC. He went on to be the Executive Officer of the 3rd Brigade 3rd Armored Division during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He then commanded the 4th Battalion of the 67th Armored Regiment "Bandits" from 1992–1995 in the 1st Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany (Hessen).

In June 2003, then Brigadier General Dempsey assumed command of 1st Armored Division. He succeeded Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez who was promoted to command V Corps. Dempsey's command of the 1st Armored Division lasted until July 2005 amd included 13 months in Iraq, from June 2003 to July 2004. While in Iraq, 1st Armored Division, in addition to its own brigades, had operational command over the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division; the command, called "Task Force Iron" in recognition of the Division's nickname, "Old Ironsides", was the largest division-level command in the history of the United States Army.^[2]

It was during this time that the U.S. intervention in Iraq changed dramatically as Fallujah fell to Sunni extremists and supporters of Muqtada Sadr built their strength and rose up against American forces. Then Major General Dempsey and his command assumed responsibility for the Area of Operations in Baghdad as the insurgency incubated, grew, and exploded. General Dempsey has been described by Thomas Ricks in his book "Fiasco": "In the capital itself, the 1st Armored Division, after Sanchez assumed control of V Corps, was led by Gen. Martin Dempsey, was generally seen as handling a difficult (and inherited) job well, under the global spotlight of Baghdad."

On March 27, 2007, Dempsey was promoted from commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, to be reappointed as a lieutenant general and assigned as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

On February 5, 2008, Dempsey was nominated to head the Seventh United States Army/U.S. Army, Europe and was nominated for promotion to four-star general upon Senate approval.

On March 11, 2008, Dempsey's commander, Admiral William J. Fallon, retired from active service. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates accepted this as effective on March 31. Dempsey took over command as acting commander CENTCOM.

On March 13, 2008, Dempsey was confirmed by the United States Senate as Commander, Seventh United States Army/U.S. Army, Europe.^[3] Due to the resignation of Admiral Fallon, he never assumed command over Seventh Army and became Acting Commander, U.S. Central Command. Instead, General Carter F. Ham assumed command of the Seventh Army on August 28, 2008.

On December 8, 2008, Dempsey took command of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.^[4]

On January 6, 2011, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he would nominate General Dempsey to succeed General George Casey as the Army Chief of Staff.^[5]

On February 8, 2011, Gates announced that President Barack Obama nominated Dempsey to be the 37th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.^[6]

On March 3, 2011, Dempsey testified before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services for reappointment to the grade of general and to be the 37th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.^[7]

On March 15, 2011, the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services affirmatively reported Dempsey's nomination to serve as the 37th Chief of Staff of the United States Army to the floor of the Senate.^[8] On March 16, 2011, the Senate confirmed Dempsey's nomination by unanimous consent.^[9]

On April 11, 2011, Dempsey was officially sworn in as 37th Chief of Staff of the United States Army at a ceremony at Fort Myer.

With Admiral Mike Mullen set to retire as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September 2011, President Obama needed to select his replacement. The Vice-Chairman, Marine General James Cartwright, who was initially believed to be the front runner for the job, had fallen out of favor among senior officials in the Defense Department. Obama administration officials revealed on May 26, 2011, that the President would nominate Dempsey to the post of Chairman.^[10] In August 2011 General Dempsey was confirmed by unanimous consent to succeed Admiral Mike Mullen as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He was officially sworn in as 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1, 2011, succeeding Admiral Michael Mullen.

Education

• 1974 Bachelor of Science degree, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
• 1984 Master of Arts degree in English, Duke University, Durham, NC
• 1988 Master of Military Art and Science degree, United States Army Command and General Staff College
• 1995 Master of Science degree in national security and strategic studies, National War College

Promotions

• 2LT – Jun 5, 74
• 1LT – Jun 5, 76
• CPT – Aug 8, 78
• MAJ – Sep 1, 85
• LTC – Apr 1, 91
• COL – Sep 1, 95
• BG – Aug 1, 01
• MG – Sep 1, 04
• LTG – Sep 8, 05
• GEN – Dec 8, 08

Awards, decorations, and badges

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with one bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
	Army Distinguished Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
	Bronze Star (with Oak Leaf Cluster and Combat Valor Device)
	Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
	Joint Service Commendation Medal
	Army Commendation Medal
	Army Achievement Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
	Valorous Unit Award (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
	Army Superior Unit Award (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
	National Defense Service Medal (with two bronze Service Stars)
	Southwest Asia Service Medal (with three bronze Service Stars)
	Iraq Campaign Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with award numeral "4")
	NATO Medal for Service with ISAF
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

	Combat Action Badge
	Basic Parachutist Badge
	Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge
	7 Overseas Service Bars
	3d Armored Cavalry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
	1st Armored Division Combat Service Identification Badge

References

1. ^ By law, 10 USC 152, Dempsey assumed office on October 1.
2. ^ "Iron Soldiers: Mission complete". 1st Armored Division Public Affairs. 1st Armored Division Public Affairs. http://www.nationalcenter.org/LeavingIraq7-8-04.pdf. Retrieved July 2004. 
3. ^ http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/noms_confn.htm
4. ^ Tice, Jim (December 8, 2008). "Dempsey takes command of TRADOC". Army Times. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/army_command_change_120808w/. Retrieved December 9, 2008. 
5. ^ Bacon, Lance (January 6, 2011). "TRADOC head is pick to become chief of staff". Army Times. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/01/army-general-martin-dempsey-is-chief-of-staff-pick-010611w/. Retrieved January 6, 2011. 
6. ^ "General Officer Announcements". Department of Defense. http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14255. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
7. ^ "Hearing Schedule". U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=5014. Retrieved March 3, 2011. 
8. ^ Brannen, Kate. -next-army-chief-031511/ "Sen. committee confirms Dempsey as Army chief". Sen. committee confirms Dempsey as Army chief. Army Times. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/03/defense-dempsey-confirmed-as -next-army-chief-031511/. Retrieved March 16, 2011. 
9. ^ Senate Congressional Record for March 16, 2011
10. ^ Starr, Barbara. "Obama to choose Army head as next Joint Chiefs chairman, officials say". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/26/joint.chiefs.chairman/index.html?hpt=T2. Retrieved May 26, 2011. 

External links

• Chairman's Corner
  • Military Biography
• GEN Martin E. Dempsey on Facebook
• GEN Martin Dempsey on Twitter
• Gen. Martin Dempsey at WhoRunsGov at The Washington Post
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Martin Dempsey at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Martin Dempsey in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Military offices
Preceded by William Fallon	Commander of United States Central Command Acting 2008	Succeeded by David Petraeus
Preceded by William Wallace	Commanding General of the Army Training and Doctrine Command 2008–2011	Succeeded by John Sterling Acting
Preceded by George Casey	Chief of Staff of the Army 2011	Succeeded by Raymond Odierno
Preceded by Michael Mullen	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2011–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Dempsey, Martin
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Date of birth	1952
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