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Martin Dempsey
Official portrait, 2012
Nickname(s)	Marty
Born	(1952-03-14) 14 March 1952 (age 72)
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1974–2015
Rank	General
Commands	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief of Staff of the United States Army United States Army Training and Doctrine Command United States Central Command Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq 1st Armored Division 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Battles / wars	Gulf War Iraq War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3) Army Distinguished Service Medal (6) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal (2) with Valor V
Website	www.generaldempsey.com
Martin Dempsey's voice Dempsey comments on the differences between Syria and Libya at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Syrian civil war Recorded March 7, 2012

Martin “Tank” Edward Dempsey (born 14 March 1952), is an American retired military officer who served as the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2011 to September 2015. He previously served as the 37th chief of Staff of the Army from April to September 2011. Before that, he served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, from December 2008 to April 2011, as Acting Commander, U.S. Central Command, from March to October 2008, as Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command, from August 2007 to March 2008, and as Commanding General, Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq (MNSTC-I), from August 2005 to August 2007. Dempsey assumed his assignment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October 2011, and stepped down from the Chairmanship in September 2015. He has served as a professor at Duke University and as chairman of USA Basketball.

Early life

Dempsey was born on 14 March 1952, in Jersey City, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Bayonne. He attended John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen, New York. Dempsey is Irish American. Following high school, Dempsey attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated with the Class of 1974. Dempsey's four grandparents were born in the counties of Sligo, Donegal, Mayo and Roscommon in Ireland. He learned a small amount of the Irish language while spending his summers in Ireland as a child.

Career

Dempsey 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 officer in charge for personnel. He went on to be the executive officer of the 3rd Brigade 3rd Armored Division during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. As a captain, Dempsey was the commanding officer of Alpha Troop, 1/10 Armored Cavalry at Ft. Carson, CO. As a lieutenant colonel he commanded the 4th Battalion of the 67th Armored Regiment "Bandits" from 1992 to 1995 in the 1st Armored Division in Friedberg, Hesse, Germany.

In 1996 he took command of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. Following that assignment as the Army's “senior scout,” he served as an Assistant Deputy Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5) on the Joint Staff, and as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Henry H. Shelton, USA. During this period of his career, he attended both the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College, earning master's degrees in military art and national strategic studies.

Promoted to brigadier general in August 2001, Dempsey first served in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia training and advising the Saudi Arabian National Guard.

In June 2003, then Major General Dempsey assumed command of the 1st Armored Division. He succeeded Ricardo S. Sanchez who was promoted to lieutenant general, as commander of V Corps. Dempsey's command of the 1st Armored Division lasted until July 2005 and 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.

It was during this time that the U.S. intervention in Iraq changed dramatically as Fallujah fell to Sunni extremists and supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr built their strength and rose 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 Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey, was generally seen as handling a difficult (and inherited) job well, under the global spotlight of Baghdad."

On 27 March 2007, Lieutenant General Dempsey was transferred from commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, and reassigned as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

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

On 11 March 2008, Dempsey's commander, Admiral William J. Fallon, resigned from his post as commander of Central Command. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates accepted this as effective on March 31. Dempsey temporarily took over as acting commander.

On 13 March 2008, Dempsey was confirmed by the United States Senate as Commander, U.S. Army, Europe/Seventh Army. However, due, to Admiral Fallon's unexpected retirement, Dempsey never took command of U.S. Army, Europe/Seventh Army.

On 11 July 2008, Dempsey was nominated to take command of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command while Lieutenant General Carter F. Ham replaced his nomination to command the U.S. Army, Europe/Seventh Army.

On 8 December 2008, Dempsey assumed command of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.

On 6 January 2011, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he would recommend that the President nominate General Dempsey to succeed General George Casey as the Army Chief of Staff. On 8 February 2011, Gates announced that President Barack Obama nominated Dempsey to be the 37th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. On 3 March 2011, Dempsey testified before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, and on 15 March 2011, the committee affirmatively reported Dempsey's nomination. On 16 March 2011, the Senate confirmed Dempsey's nomination by unanimous consent. On 11 April 2011, Dempsey was sworn in as Chief of Staff of the United States Army at a ceremony at Fort Myer.

With Admiral Michael Mullen set to retire as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September 2011, U.S. 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 26 May 2011, that Obama would nominate Dempsey to the post of chairman. 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 sworn in as 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 October 2011. On 26 June 2013, Obama re-nominated General Dempsey to serve a second two-year term as chairman. Dempsey stepped down on 25 September 2015, and was replaced by General Joseph Dunford, USMC.

Dempsey was appointed as the chairman of USA Basketball in 2016. After eight years in the position, he was re-elected as chair in October 2024 through to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

On 18 October 2020, Dempsey was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, in the Public Service category.

Personal life

Dempsey is married to his high school sweetheart, Deanie. They have three children: Chris, Megan, and Caitlin. Each has served in the United States Army and is married with three children. Chris remains on active duty as a cavalry colonel. Martin and Deanie have nine grandchildren.

Education

• 1974 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York
• 1984 Master of Arts degree in English, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
• 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

Dates of rank

Rank	Date
Second lieutenant	5 June 1974
First lieutenant	5 June 1976
Captain	8 August 1978
Major	1 September 1985
Lieutenant colonel	1 April 1991
Colonel	1 September 1996
Brigadier general	1 August 2001
Major general	1 September 2004
Lieutenant general	8 September 2005
General	8 December 2008

Awards and decorations

On 7 December 2011, Dempsey received the USO's Distinguished Service Award on behalf of all military members. In October 2016, he was made an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, for commitment to British-American defense cooperation. Also, the Association of the United States Army, on 17 October 2019, awarded Dempsey the George Catlett Marshall Medal for distinguished public service, that organization's highest award.

Medals and ribbons

U.S. military decorations Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with two bronze oak leaf clusters) Army Distinguished Service Medal (with one silver oak leaf cluster) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (with two bronze oak leaf clusters) Bronze Star (with Valor device and bronze oak leaf cluster) Meritorious Service Medal (with two bronze oak leaf clusters) Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal (with bronze oak leaf cluster) U.S. unit awards Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with three bronze oak leaf clusters) Valorous Unit Award (with bronze oak leaf cluster) Army Superior Unit Award (with bronze oak leaf cluster) U.S. service (and campaign) medals and service and training ribbons National Defense Service Medal (with two bronze service stars) Southwest Asia Service Medal (with three bronze service stars) Iraq Campaign Medal (with three bronze service stars) Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Army Service Ribbon Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with award numeral "4") Foreign awards NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia Croatian Order of Duke Trpimir Commander of the French Légion d'honneur Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Knight Commander's Cross Israeli Defense Forces' Chief of Staff Medal of Appreciation Order of National Security Merit, Tong-il Medal (Republic of Korea) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand (Thailand) Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) (Military Division) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun （Japan）

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

Bibliography

1. Win, Learn, Focus, Adapt, Win Again – Article series for Army Magazine (AUSA). October 2010 – February 2011
2. Inspired and humbled by the sacrifice of our troops – The Hill, 24 May 2011
3. From the Chairman – Joint Force Quarterly no. 64. January 2012
4. From the Chairman – Joint Force Quarterly no. 65. April 2012
5. Preserving the bonds of trust – The Hill, 22 May 2012
6. From the Chairman – Joint Force Quarterly no. 66. July 2012
7. From the Chairman: Building Tomorrow's Leaders – Joint Force Quarterly no. 67. October 2012
8. From the Chairman: Sustaining our Edge – Joint Force Quarterly no. 68. January 2013
9. From the Chairman: Risky Business – Joint Force Quarterly no. 69. April 2013
10. Remember and uphold tradition – The Hill, 21 May 2013
11. From the Chairman: Why We Serve – Joint Force Quarterly no. 70. July 2013
12. From the Chairman: Leadership in Historic Times – Joint Force Quarterly no. 71. October 2013
13. From the Chairman: Mount Up and Move Out – Joint Force Quarterly no. 72. January 2014

Interviews

1. Dempsey Muses on Challenges as New Head of Joint Chiefs – Thom Shanker. New York Times. 3 October 2011.
2. The New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on "Getting to the Truth" – Karl Moore. Forbes Magazine. 20 October 2011.
3. Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview with Jeremy Paxman – Jeremy Paxman, BBC. 28 November 2011.
4. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview with Fareed Zakaria – Fareed Zakaria. CNN. 19 February 2012.
5. Video: Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview with Charlie Rose – Charlie Rose. 16 March 2012.
6. Video: Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview on Leadership – The Pentagon Channel. October 2012.
7. Video: Gen. Martin Dempsey at the National Press Club – National Press Club. 10 October 2012.
8. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Dan Rather – Dan Rather Reports. AXS.tv. 13 November 2012.
9. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Ted Koppel – Rock Center with Brian Williams. NBC. 24 January 2013.
10. Transcript: Sec. Panetta & Gen. Dempsey's Interview with Candy Crowley – State of the Union. CNN. 3 February 2013.
11. Transcript: Sec. Panetta & Gen. Dempsey's Interview with Chuck Todd – Meet the Press. NBC. 3 February 2013.
12. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Rachel Martin – Weekend Edition. NPR. 17 February 2013.
13. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Candy Crowley – State of the Union. CNN. 7 July 2013.
14. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Martha Raddatz – This Week. ABC. 4 August 2013.
15. Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Steve Inskeep - NPR. Morning Edition. 4 June 2020.

Speeches

1. Gen. Dempsey Becomes the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – 30 September 2011
2. The Atlantic Council of the United States: Security and Partnership in an Age of Austerity – 9 December 2011.
3. End of Mission Ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq – 15 December 2011.
4. Duke University's Ambassador S. Davis Phillips Family International Lecture Series: A New Vision for the US Military – 12 January 2012.
5. West Point Class of 2013 500th Night – 21 January 2012.
6. Harvard University's John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum: Security Paradox – 12 April 2012.
7. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A Conversation with General Martin Dempsey – 1 May 2012.
8. Kansas State University's 161st Landon Lecture – 1 October 2012

References

1. "18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – General Martin Edward Dempsey". jcs.mil. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
2. By law, 10 USC 152, Dempsey assumed office on October 1.
3. "General Dempsey retires, transitions Joint Chiefs of Staff chair". upi.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
4. "Gen. Martin Dempsey Named 2016 Rubenstein Fellow at Duke". October 2015.
5. "Board". www.usab.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
6. "Bayonne's Gen. Dempsey named one of world's most influential: Time Magazine", The Jersey Journal, April 17, 2015, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed February 1, 2022. "Army General Martin E. Dempsey, who was born in Jersey City and grew up in Bayonne, made Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, a group that includes Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis and celebrity Kim Kardashian."
7. Sestanovich, Stephen (6 May 2015). "Barack 'O'Bama' and His Irish-American Advisers". wsj.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
8. "US President's chief military adviser gives exclusive interview". rte.ie. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
9. "Irish American General Martin Demspey to become new head of Joint Chiefs of Staff". irishcentral.com. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
10. "Ireland of Welcomes Talks to General Dempsey". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
11. "Donegal Man Is Appointed Chief Of The American Army". Donegal Daily. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
12. Baron, Kevin, "Gen. Martin Dempsey: The Quiet American", National Journal, February 11, 2012.
13. ^ "Joint Chiefs of Staff > About > The Joint Staff > Chairman > General Martin Edward Dempsey". www.jcs.mil. Retrieved 8 December 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
14. "Iron Soldiers: Mission complete" (PDF). 1st Armored Division Public Affairs. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
15. "U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Nominations Confirmed (Non-Civilian)". Senate.gov. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
16. "General Officer Announcements". Defense.gov. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
17. Tice, Jim (8 December 2008). "Dempsey takes command of TRADOC". Army Times. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
18. Bacon, Lance (6 January 2011). "TRADOC head is pick to become chief of staff". Army Times. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
19. "General Officer Announcements". Department of Defense. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
20. "Hearing Schedule". U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
21. Brannen, Kate (15 March 2011). "Sen. committee confirms Dempsey as Army chief". Army Times. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
22. "Congress.gov – Library of Congress". thomas.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
23. Starr, Barbara (26 May 2011). "Obama to choose Army head as next Joint Chiefs chairman, officials say". CNN. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
24. White House Press Secretary (26 June 2013). "Statement by the President on Intention to Renominate General Marty Dempsey as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Admiral Sandy Winnefeld as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
25. "Dempsey returning as USA Basketball chairperson". ESPN.com. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
26. "2020 NJ Hall of Fame". www.nj.com. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
27. "Official Biography of 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin E. Dempsey" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2012.
28. "General Martin E. Dempsey Chairman". US DOD Joint Chiefs of Staff. April 2015. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
29. Miles, Donna (8 December 2011). "Dempsey Accepts USO Award on Behalf of Military Members". Armed Forces Press Service. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
30. "Irish speaking, all-singing US Army general Martin Dempsey made honorary knight in Britain – Irish Post". Irish Post. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
31. "FORMER JCS CHAIRMAN DEMPSEY RECEIVES MARSHALL MEDAL". 7 October 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
32. "US Army's Most Powerful Man Receives Order of Duke in Croatia". Croatia Week. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
33. "Dempsey receives Legion of Honor, Commander's degree, in 2014".
34. "Dempsey receives Federal German Award, KCC of the Order of Merit".
35. "DEMPSEY MEETS WITH ISRAELI LEADERS, RECEIVES AWARD". Retrieved 5 February 2016.
36. "Retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is knighted". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
37. "外国人叙勲受章者名簿 平成27年". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
38. News, Idaho Falls. "Idaho Falls Spokesperson – About Page". idfspokesperson.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
39. "US CJCS Gen. Martin Dempsey Visits Yad VaShem". flickr.com. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2017.

External links

• Official website
• Military biography
• Chairman's Corner Archived September 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Martin Dempsey at IMDb

v t e Leaders of the United States Army
Senior Officer / Commanding General	Washington Knox Doughty Harmar St. Clair Wayne Hamilton Wilkinson Dearborn J. Brown Macomb W. Scott McClellan Halleck Grant Sherman Sheridan Schofield Miles
Chiefs of Staff	Young Chaffee Bates Bell Wood Wotherspoon H. Scott Bliss March Pershing Hines Summerall MacArthur Craig Marshall Eisenhower Bradley Collins Ridgway Taylor Lemnitzer Decker Wheeler Johnson Westmoreland B. Palmer Abrams Weyand Rogers Meyer Wickham Vuono Sullivan Reimer Shinseki Schoomaker Casey Dempsey Odierno Milley McConville George
Vice Chiefs of Staff	Collins Haislip Hull Bolte W. Palmer Lemnitzer Decker Eddleman Hamlett Abrams Haines B. Palmer Haig Weyand Kerwin Kroesen Vessey Wickham Thurman A. Brown RisCassi Sullivan Reimer Peay Tilelli Griffith Crouch Shinseki Keane Casey Cody Chiarelli Austin Campbell Allyn McConville Martin George Mingus

• 1952 births
• Living people
• Military personnel from Jersey City, New Jersey
• American people of Irish descent
• Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• United States Army Chiefs of Staff
• Duke University alumni
• National War College alumni
• People from Bayonne, New Jersey
• Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
• Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
• Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
• Recipients of the Legion of Merit
• Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Tank personnel
• United States Army generals
• United States Military Academy alumni
• United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
• Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
• Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
• Recipients of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal