21st Century American Military Leader

21st Century American Military Leader

Thesis Statement

The Afghanistan War on Terror post the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre brought to limelight General Martin E. Dempsey, who courageously served the US Military as an exceptional leader and continues to do so till date.

Introduction

General Dempsey is the 18th Chairman of the Chief of Army Staff. Gen. Dempsey was deployed in Iraq during the War on Terror. The last decade has been extremely remarkable for Gen Dempsey and his family as he has journeyed through to becoming General and then to his current position in office of Chairman of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS). According to Thomas Ricks, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey showed exceptional performance when his team was deployed in Baghdad during the War on Terror in Iraq. He fought through many battles very gallantly and skillfully and received many laurels for his outstanding performance as a Commander General. US President Barack Obama, said about Gen Dempsey, “he is our nation's most respected—and combat-tested—generals (Obama, 2011, p.1).”

This paper discusses Gen. Dempsey's role in the Iraq-Afghanistan War and his significant role in the war on Terror. This essay also discusses Gen. Dempsey's efforts to reduce the post-war affects such as many social issues and other aspects of the war.

Discussion

The Iraq War on Terror started as a result of the attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. This attack changed the meaning of “terrorism” for America; it was previously not taken as part of its usual concerns (www.du.edu). However, post the attack till date; it is a constant worry for the USA. The attack by Al-Qaeda on the WTC was detrimental for America, as was seen post the attacks. It damaged the overall economy and weakened the economy of the country. The circumstances led to an attack on Afghanistan and a subsequent invasion of Iraq (Bilmes, 2006).

Gen. Dempsey has played a vital role in the Iraq War. He has been one of the many US Military leaders of the 21st Century to have leaped up to the rank of General from Brigadier General less than a decade. General Dempsey handled extremely difficult jobs very skillfully in the battlefield. Thomas E. Ricks, senior respondent for Pentagon, talks about Gen. Dempsey in his book “Fiasco” that discusses the chivalry and bravery of all those soldiers and military men involved in the trying times of the war (Ricks, 2006).

In 2003, a year and two months after he was posted in Baghdad, Iraq, he was assigned the lead person to take over the first Armored Division. For the next two years till 2005, the military men under him were deployed in Germany. However, in 2005, he relocated to Iraq with the aim to train and instruct the security forces deployed there. He took command as the Commander General for the next two years. With remarkable success with his troops, he was then appointed as Deputy Commander in 2008 and later the Acting Commander ...