Martin Dempsey
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff · United States · On the map · Born 1952 · age 74
Martin Edward "Marty" Dempsey 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.
Martin Dempsey is read about 136 times a day, in 25 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 10 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 112 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
People around Martin
Close ties
Media & music
Photos 8
Brigadier General Dempsey, commander, 1st Armored Division, gives a few remarks to the Iraqis who served during previous wars in Iraq at a recognition ceremony held in the Convention Center in Baghdad, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004
Dempsey talks with U.S. Marine Corps drill instructors in March 2013
Retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, right, administers the oath of office to his successor, General Dempsey, left, during the change of office and swearing-in ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, 30 September 2011
Martin Dempsey's wife Deanie, right, and son, Captain Chris Dempsey, add the new four-star rank insignia to his uniform during his promotion ceremony on Fort Monroe, Virginia, 8 December 2008
![Dempsey and Lt. General Benny Gantz, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces visiting the Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, where Dempsey paid respect to the memory of Holocaust victims on 20 January 2012[38][39]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Flickr_-_Israel_Defense_Forces_-_US_CJCS_Gen._Martin_Dempsey_Visits_Yad_VaShem_%281%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_Israel_Defense_Forces_-_US_CJCS_Gen._Martin_Dempsey_Visits_Yad_VaShem_%281%29.jpg)
Dempsey and Lt. General Benny Gantz, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces visiting the Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, where Dempsey paid respect to the memory of Holocaust victims on 20 January 2012[38][39]In their own words 4
, To Deanie, who's been there every step of the way.
Not all of us have a moral compass on our desks, but we need to have one in our hearts. Without it, we won't live a life in which character matters.
There's no place as beautiful as West Point in the spring, summer and fall and no place as dismal as West Point in January and February.
Awards
About this person
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.
