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Generals tapped for training, overseas posts

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates finished his sweeping transformation of the Army’s top leadership Friday with the nomination of two three-star generals to key command posts.

Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey has been nominated by President Bush to get a fourth star and serve as the commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va. The job puts him in charge of shaping the training and education of an Army that must be able to fight conventional foes as well as conduct the counterinsurgency missions needed in current war zones.

In March, Dempsey took charge temporarily of U.S. Central Command, arguably the most important command in the U.S. military, with responsibility for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was placed in that job after the abrupt resignation of Adm. William Fallon, and had been confirmed by the Senate to then move on to take over U.S. Army Europe. But in a succession of moves — that included sending Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, to head Central Command — Gates opted to send Dempsey to training command.

Also Friday, Bush nominated Lt. Gen. Carter Ham to also receive a fourth star and take command of U.S. Army Europe.

Both Dempsey and Ham are considered rising stars in the Army ranks, and have played prominent roles in the conduct of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dempsey served as commander of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq in 2003-04, and later served in Baghdad for nearly two years in charge of the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces.

Ham served as the U.S. commander in Mosul in northern Iraq from 2004-05. He is currently the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.