Posted on 03/28/2008 5:16:10 AM PDT by RDTF
WASHINGTON — One of the Army's most Iraq-savvy generals is taking charge, at least temporarily, of arguably the most important command in the U.S. military, with responsibility for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a ceremony Friday at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey is to assume command of U.S. Central Command from Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, who announced unexpectedly on March 11 that he was quitting. Fallon cited press reports that he was at odds with President Bush over Iran policy.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has denied that Fallon was out of step on Iran, and Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to attend the ceremony.
Dempsey, whose field experience in the early stages of his 34-year Army career was largely in Europe, has been deputy commander at Central Command since August 2007. He will serve as the acting commander until Bush chooses a permanent replacement and gets that person confirmed by the Senate.
-snip-
Dempsey has extensive experience in Iraq. He earned high marks as commander of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq in 2003-2004. For nearly two years prior to taking the Central Command job he served in Baghdad as head of the command that is training and equipping Iraqi security forces.
-snip-
In addition to his years in Iraq, Dempsey headed a U.S. program in Saudi Arabia to modernize the kingdom's National Guard, which is an elite force designed to protect the royal family, from September 2001 to June 2003.
Dempsey graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and attended the National War College in 1995-1996.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I’m sure everyone will say this guy is great like they did with Fallon, unless or until he says something we don’t want to hear. Then he will be a traitor.
I’m sure you’re exaggerating.
General Dempsey’s biography is being studied very carefully in Tehran.
WOW! Putting a guy with actual experience on the ground in charge of the AOR. What a novel idea!
I can’t believe they put a squid in to head up CENTCOM during this time period.
Actually not everyone said Fallon was great at the beginning. The Army guys were fried when Fallon was named. From day one they did everything they could to undermine his appointment, including spreading the story that he called Petraeus a chicken$hit to his face. They continued to undermine, in almost treasonous ways, up until the end. It would be great if someone were to write about that internal war but it probably won't happen.
We’ll see...I’m sure
Probably won’t, especially if they want to keep their jobs. Maybe next administration.
Fallon was a “butt kissing” political flag officer that the Clintons groomed.
Don’t know much about Dempsey, but Fallon was and IS an ass-hat.
Bump and a ping.
You must not be from the Norfolk area ‘cause he’s thought of quite differently around here.
Agreed. The battle between the services will be one of the great untold stories of the war.
I will assume you’re Army and have some kind of inside information that the rest of us don’t have.
Send an e-mail to W.E.B.Griffin. That’s exactly the sort of stuff he writes about...
That was my thinking too. Didn't seem to make sense. We're involved in two mostly Ground (1) Battlefields(2) and a 'Sailor' is put in charge?!? That was a head scratcher. (Would a General be put in charge of a Carrier Task Force Group, uh... no)
(1) Acknowledged that the USAF is involved in Afghanistan too.
(2) We have One War, not two as the moonbats keep saying.
Generals have typically run the show no matter what kind of war. That's why they were so pi$$ed that they had to share their power.
The Army got its way. Let's see what they do now.
You assume wrong.
USMC here.
My kid brother and his son are in the Army. A “full bull” Col. and 2nd Lt.
Probably because an airdale squid knows what to do with marines, fighter and bomber aircraft, and surface to surface weaponry.
Good riddance to his “vision” (Writing from a stones throw away of this “retirement”/changing of the command ceremony/headache if you happen to live on or want to get out of MacDill) but seems like a friendly guy.
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