Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to address NACDS Annual attendees
ARLINGTON, Va. – Gen. Martin Dempsey, U.S. Army, retired, who in September 2015 concluded his 41 years of military service and his tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will speak at the April 19 Business Program during the 2016 NACDS Annual Meeting, the association announced Wednesday.
News of Gen. Dempsey’s engagement in the NACDS Annual Meeting follows December’s announcement that former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, R-Ohio, will speak at the April 17 Business Program during the event.
“NACDS members are going to hear from the very leader and patriot whom the President and Secretary of Defense heard from, as recently as a few months ago, on the most pressing national security topics,” stated NACDS president and CEO Steven Anderson. “With former Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey and former House Speaker John Boehner on the program, the NACDS Annual Meeting will present the best-qualified and most-timely speakers on issues continuing to unfold in the national and international arenas.”
Gen. Dempsey assumed the chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from his prior position as chief of staff of the United States Army, which he held from April to September 2011.
During his Army service, he commanded a Cavalry Troop, a Tank Battalion, a Cavalry Regiment, a Tank Division, and United States Central Command, where he was responsible for securing U.S. interests in the Middle East and South Asia. He served in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, accumulating 42 months in combat.
Gen. Dempsey is a 1974 graduate of the United States Military Academy. He earned Master of Arts degrees from three institutions: from Duke in Literature, from the Army Command & General Staff College in Military Science, and from the National War College in National Security Strategy.
His military awards include the Bronze Star with the “V” Device that honors valor in combat; the Defense Distinguished Service Medal; and Distinguished Service Medals from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard; as well as awards from other Departments in the United States Government including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.
He has received awards from many U.S. allies including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Croatia, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore.
In 2015, Gen. Dempsey was named one of the “100 most influential leaders in the world” by TIME magazine.
Gen. Dempsey and his wife, Deanie, have been married for 39 years. They served the military as a team, and Deanie was instrumental in supporting military families and championing many of the family programs that have been critical to U.S. success over the past 14 years of conflict.
They have three children and nine grandchildren. Each of their three children served in the Army, and their son, Chris, continues to serve as a Major recently assigned to the Pentagon.
Gen. Dempsey’s post-military career includes a teaching position at Duke University in public policy and leadership and a role as the special advisor to the commissioner of the National Basketball Association for leader development and youth programs.