LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring General Martin E. Dempsey upon the occa-
sion of assuming duty as the 18th and current Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff

WHEREAS, Individuals who dedicate their lives to military service merit
the commendation and applause of all citizens for their commitment to
the preservation of American freedom; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
General Martin E. Dempsey upon the occasion of assuming duty as the 18th
and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and
WHEREAS, Martin "Marty" Dempsey, a Greenwood Lake resident since the
seventh grade, is a graduate of John S. Burke Catholic High School in
Goshen, New York; and
WHEREAS, Prior to his current position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey served as the United States Army's
37th Chief of Staff from April 11, 2011, until September 7, 2011; and
WHEREAS, During his previous 36 years of service in the United States
Army, General Martin E. Dempsey has served in a variety of profes-
sionally rewarding and developmental positions in both the generating
and operating force; and
WHEREAS, Following graduation from the United States Military Academy
in 1974, General Martin E. Dempsey received his commission as an Armor
Officer; as a company grade officer, he served with the 2nd Armored
Cavalry Regiment in United States Army Europe and with the 10th Cavalry
at Fort Carson; and
WHEREAS, Following troop command, General Martin E. Dempsey earned his
Masters of Arts in English from Duke University and was subsequently
assigned to the English Department at the United States Military Academy
at West Point where he served as an Instructor and Assistant Professor;
he also earned masters degrees from the Command and General Staff
College (1987) and National War College (1995); and
WHEREAS, In 1991, General Martin E. Dempsey deployed with the Third
Armored Division in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm; he
then served in the Human Resources Command as the Armor Branch Chief,
and from 1996-1998 as the 67th Colonel of the Third Armored Cavalry
Regiment; and
WHEREAS, In addition, General Martin E. Dempsey served on the Joint
Staff as an Assistant Deputy Director in J-5 and as Special Assistant to
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Staff, Washington,
D.C.; from September 2001 to June 2003, he served in Riyadh, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, in a training and advisory role as the Program Manager,
Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program; and
WHEREAS, In June of 2003, General Dempsey took command of the 1st
Armored Division in Baghdad, Iraq; after 14 months in Iraq, he rede-
ployed his division to Germany and completed his command tour in July of
2005; he then deployed to Iraq again for two years in August 2005 to
train and equip the Iraqi Security Forces as Commanding General of
MNSTC-I; and
WHEREAS, From August 2007 through October 2008, General Martin E.
Dempsey served as the Deputy Commander and then Acting Commander of
United States Central Command; most recently he commanded the United
States Army Training and Doctrine Command; and
WHEREAS, General Martin E. Dempsey's awards and decorations include
the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the
Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense
Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters,

the Bronze Star with "V" Device, the Combat Action Badge, and the Para-
chutist Badge; and
WHEREAS, In addition, he was honored in 2008 by the Arthur Finnegan
Post 1443 of the American Legion in Greenwood Lake, New York; and
WHEREAS, General Dempsey and his wife, Deanie, are the proud parents
of three children: Chris, Megan, and Caitlin, each of whom has served in
the United States Army; and
WHEREAS, In all his official acts, General Martin E. Dempsey has been
governed by a sense of loyalty, duty and honor that allowed him to be a
natural leader; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his extraordinary and outstanding military service
career, General Martin E. Dempsey has earned the respect, admiration,
esteem and affection of his fellow members of the Armed Forces of the
United States, and of his friends, family and colleagues; now, there-
fore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor General Martin E. Dempsey upon the occasion of assuming duty as
the 18th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to General Martin E. Dempsey.