LITERATURE + LECTURES

The World Affairs Council of Houston presents The Way Ahead:  Military Strategy for the 21st Century.

General Martin E. Dempsey  (pictured)
Commanding General of U.S. Army
Training and Doctrine Command

America faces a range of threats, from terrorism and nuclear proliferation to conflicts on several fronts. Does the modern army have the agility and flexibility to adapt to domestic or international demands as they arise?

General Martin E. Dempsey will discuss the status of U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and how the army is evolving to meet the challenges ahead.

General Dempsey is the current Commanding General of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He previously served as Acting Commander of U.S. Central Command, commanding general of the Multi- National Security Transition Command – Iraq, and the coalition command responsible for recruiting, training, and equipping the Iraqi Security Forces.

General Dempsey has received numerous awards including the Defense Distinguished Service medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star. He is a graduate of Duke University and the United States Military Academy.

The Army has answered the call, and it’s the dedication, the determination, and the willingness to sacrifice that the young men and women meet every day in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan that has to inspire us. This causes me to want to be part of the effort to make them a better, more effective fighting force. They’re unbelievable now, but we need to redouble our efforts to keep that edge, and we must triple our efforts to make their lives more predictable. —Gen. Martin E. Dempsey