“Tuesday’s nomination of a new Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman began the formal winding down of Gen. Martin Dempsey’s tenure,” writes The Wall Street Journal .” Yet Gen. Dempsey’s vision—one of caution about U.S. military engagements and reliance on local partners—is expected to prevail through the end of Barack Obama’s term.”  

” Obama nominated Marine Corps commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. to the Joint Chiefs chairmanship that Gen. Dempsey vacates Oct. 1. Gen. Dunford is largely built from the same mold as Gen. Dempsey… Like the current chairman, Gen. Dunford has been unconvinced of the utility of many long-term deployments of American troops.”  

“Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, who has served with both Gen. Dempsey and Gen. Dunford, said both showed during the Iraq war that they were operational virtuosos. He added that both also learned hard lessons about American power, including that to have a lasting impact on the ground, you have to work through allies.”