Long-time Israel ally Dempsey steps down as US military chief

WASHINGTON — Gen. Martin Dempsey stepped down as the United States military’s top officer Friday, after four tumultuous years of war, budget cuts and the strains of combat on a battle-worn force.

He turned over his responsibilities to Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, who is taking over at a crucial point as tensions surge with Russia, US troops wage war against militants in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, and the effort to train and equip Syrian rebels struggles to find a footing.

The transfer of responsibility took place during an afternoon of marching bands, Irish songs, speeches and military pomp Friday, under cloudy skies at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., with US President Barack Obama and other senior defense leaders and military commanders in the audience.

In Dempsey’s four years as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, he visited Israel five times. For his efforts in maintaining a healthy relationship between the US military and the Israel Defense Forces, the five-star general earned Israel’s Chief of Staff Medal of Appreciation — one of only nine people ever to do so.

In spite of the growing political rift between the United States and Israel, Dempsey helped maintain a close relationship between the two militaries.

“You’ve been a wonderful friend and a grand champion of America and of America-Israel relations,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Dempsey during his final official visit earlier this summer. “We appreciate it.”

Dempsey, a well-respected, combat-hardened officer, took over as Obama’s top military adviser in September 2011, as the war in Afghanistan was beginning to wind down and the last US troops were coming out of Iraq. At the time, one of his key concerns was the impending budget cuts, and how the military services would get leaner without harming their readiness for war.

But times rapidly changed, as he worked to help an often divided administration reach agreements on a number of contentious issues, including the pace of the military drawdown in Afghanistan, the scope of the military missions in Iraq and Syria, the types of aid to provide Ukraine in its battle against Russian separatists and with the potential military implications of the Iranian nuclear deal.

In his final official visit to Israel in June, Dempsey reinforced the need for a close military relationship and made it clear to the Israeli defense establishment that the US would ensure Israel maintained its so-called “qualitative military edge” over potential adversaries in the region.

“I can’t imagine a world where we didn’t have that kind of relationship,” Dempsey said. “I have been proud to have been a part of it.”

Dempsey maintained both a close professional and personal relationship with the IDF’s top brass, including former IDF chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who he met during Gantz’s stint as the IDF’s envoy to Washington and with whom he shared a passion for motorcycles.

At the same time, Dempsey also worked with the military services to combat the effects of years at war on US forces, who have seen suicides and sexual assaults spike, while veterans struggle to find jobs and get the medical care they need.

Obama praised Dempsey as a leader who was committed to insuring the military became a more versatile and responsive force.

“I chose him because he had the steady hand we needed in this moment of transition — as we tackle emerging threats and support so many of our troops as they transition to civilian life,” Obama said. “But perhaps most of all, I chose Marty because he’s a leader you can trust. Marty, you’ve always given it to me straight. I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated your candor and your counsel.”

Dempsey, who keeps a cigar box filled with 132 cards on his desk identifying each of the soldiers whose lives were lost under his command in Iraq, ended his remarks with the three words inscribed on the box.

“It has been my privilege to wear the cloth of our nation. To all who will continue to serve after me, I ask only this in parting,” Dempsey said. “Make it matter.”

In one poignant moment, Dempsey’s son Chris — an Army major — read his father’s retirement order, his voice breaking with emotion. Dempsey later joked that for those who were betting on how long it would take for him to cry during the ceremony — it was that moment when his son spoke.

At the end of the ceremony, he and his wife Deanie danced briefly to their wedding song, “Close to You,” in honor of their recent 39th anniversary. To conclude, Dempsey took the microphone — as he often does — and sang the popular Irish song, “The Parting Glass.”

Dunford, who until Thursday was serving as the Marine Corps commandant, spoke briefly, saying he is looking forward to working with the other military leaders “to tackle the challenges on our watch.”

Prior to his short stint as commandant, he served as the top US military commander in Afghanistan.

The last Marine to hold the office of chairman was Gen. Peter Pace, from 2005 to 2007.