Martin “Marty” Edward Dempsey (born 14 March 1952), is an American retired military officer who served as the 18th

chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

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 Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq (MNSTC-I) was a training and organizational-support command of the United States Department of Defense. It was established in June 2004. It was a military formation of Multi-National Force – Ir ...

(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.By law
10 USC 152
Dempsey assumed office on October 1. He has served as a professor at

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

and as chairman of

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...

Early life

Dempsey was born on 14 March 1952, in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, and grew up in nearby

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

. He attended John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen, New York. Dempsey is

Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

. Following high school, Dempsey attended the

United States Military Academy at West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as commissioned officers in the United States Army. The academy was founded ...

and graduated with the Class of 1974. Dempsey's four grandparents were born in the counties of

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

, Donegal, Mayo and

Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He learned a small amount of the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

while spending his summers in Ireland as a child.

Career

Dempsey received a commission as an

Armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...

officer upon graduation from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

in 1974. As a company-grade officer, he served in 1st Squadron, 2nd 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 , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

. 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 Friedberg (; official name: ''Friedberg (Hessen)'') is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. In 1966, the town hosted the sixth '' Hessentag'' state festival, in 1979 the 19th. Geographical location Friedberg is ...

, Germany. In 1996 he took command of the 3rd 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 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

, 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 In the United States, the National War College (NWC) is a school within the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National ...

, 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 Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

training and advising the

Saudi Arabian National Guard The Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG), also known as the White Army, is one of the three major branches of the military forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The national guard is under the administrative control of the Ministry of National ...

US Army Brigadier General Martin Dempsey in Iraq DF-SD-05-08280

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 Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

, 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 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

; 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 The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. It was during this time that the U.S. intervention in Iraq changed dramatically as

Fallujah Fallujah ( ) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates, Euphrates River, it is located roughly to the west of the capital city of Baghdad and from the neighboring city of Ramadi. The city is located in the region ...

fell to

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

extremists and supporters of

Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr (; born 4 August 1974) is an Iraqi Shia Muslim cleric, politician and militia leader. He inherited the leadership of the Sadrist Movement from his father, and founded the now dissolved Mahdi Army militia in 2003 that resisted ...

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 Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

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 MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

, 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 Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and retained b ...

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 The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

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. President Obama Welcomes New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 03

President Obama Welcomes New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 03

On 8 December 2008, Dempsey assumed command of

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine ...

. On 6 January 2011, Defense Secretary

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 Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

nominated Dempsey to be the 37th

Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...

. On 3 March 2011, Dempsey testified before the

United States Senate Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services, sometimes abbreviated SASC for Senate Armed Services Committee, is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with Congressional oversight, legislative oversight of the Military of the United States, ...

, 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

at a ceremony at

Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army Military base, post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and ...

. With

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Michael Mullen Michael Glenn Mullen (born 4 October 1946) is a retired United States Navy Admiral (United States), admiral who served as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2007 to September 2011. Mullen was the 32nd vice chief of Nav ...

set to retire as

in September 2011,

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Obama needed to select his replacement. The vice-chairman, Marine General

James Cartwright James Edward "Hoss" Cartwright (born September 22, 1949) is a retired United States Marine Corps General (United States), general who last served as the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 31, 2007, to August 3, 2011. H ...

, 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 Joseph Francis Dunford Jr. (born 23 December 1955) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2019. He was the 36th commandant of the Marine C ...

, USMC. Dempsey was appointed as the chairman of

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 The New Jersey Hall of Fame is an organization that honors individuals from the U.S. state of New Jersey who have made contributions to society and the world beyond. The Hall of Fame is a designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, overseen by ...

, 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 A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree in English,

, Durham, North Carolina *1988 Master of Military Art and Science degree,

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

*1995

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

degree in

national security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...

and

strategic studies Strategic studies is an interdisciplinary academic field centered on the study of peace and conflict strategies, often devoting special attention to the relationship between military history, international politics, geostrategy, international ...

Dates of rank

Awards and decorations

On 7 December 2011, Dempsey received the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

'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 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, for commitment to British-American defense cooperation. Also, the

Association of the United States Army The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the professional association of the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 121 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not ju ...

, on 17 October 2019, awarded Dempsey the George Catlett Marshall Medal for distinguished public service, that organization's highest award.

Medals and ribbons

Bibliography

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

– Joint Force Quarterly no. 72. January 2014

Interviews

– Thom Shanker. New York Times. 3 October 2011.
The New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on "Getting to the Truth"
– Karl Moore. Forbes Magazine. 20 October 2011.
Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview with Jeremy Paxman
– Jeremy Paxman, BBC. 28 November 2011.

– Fareed Zakaria. CNN. 19 February 2012.
Video: Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview with Charlie Rose
– Charlie Rose. 16 March 2012.
Video: Gen. Martin Dempsey's Interview on Leadership
– The Pentagon Channel. October 2012.
Video: Gen. Martin Dempsey at the National Press Club
– National Press Club. 10 October 2012.
Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Dan Rather
– Dan Rather Reports. AXS.tv. 13 November 2012.
Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Ted Koppel
– Rock Center with Brian Williams. NBC. 24 January 2013.
Transcript: Sec. Panetta & Gen. Dempsey's Interview with Candy Crowley
– State of the Union. CNN. 3 February 2013.
Transcript: Sec. Panetta & Gen. Dempsey's Interview with Chuck Todd
– Meet the Press. NBC. 3 February 2013.
Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Rachel Martin
– Weekend Edition. NPR. 17 February 2013.

– State of the Union. CNN. 7 July 2013.
Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Martha Raddatz
– This Week. ABC. 4 August 2013. #
Transcript: Gen. Martin Dempsey talks to Steve Inskeep
- NPR. Morning Edition. 4 June 2020.

Speeches

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

References

External links

*
Military biography''Chairman's Corner''
* * , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dempsey, Martin 1952 births Living people Military personnel from Jersey City, New Jersey American people of Irish descent Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army 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