President Obama is expected to nominate General Martin E. Dempsey, currently the Army chief, to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as early as Monday, according to the New York Times. The move would make Dempsey the military’s highest-ranking officer, and a key member of the president’s revamped national security team, if confirmed by the Senate. As the president’s senior military adviser, Dempsey would be left figuring out how soon to withdraw from Afghanistan, among other pressing problems. Good thing, then, that he’s a West Point graduate who “knows the art of combat,” and he comes highly recommended by defense secretary Robert Gates. But as the New York Times points out, he’s also a favored candidate for the job because he’s a good guy, and he can carry a tune:
Of the senior commanders, Dempsey is known as the least self-aggrandizing. That was said to have been an attractive trait to a White House seeking to avoid public drama and that has felt cornered at times by strong egos within the war cabinet during policy battles.
Sold.
Army Leader Is Reported Pick to Lead Joint Chiefs of Staff [NYT]
