Stanley McChrystal

Stanley McChrystal is a general in the United States Army, who simultaneously commands the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and United States Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A). As opposed to the previous commander, GEN David McKiernan, who was a distinguished "heavy" armored force commander, his career has been in special operations and infantry — a "lightfighter".

After graduating from the United States Military Academy, in the Paratroop 82nd Airborne Division, and, when eligible, qualified in United States Army Special Forces. He led an Special Forces "A Team", then served in intelligence and operations for the United Nations command in South Korea.

He commanded a "heavy" mechanized infantry company and served on its battalion staff, then went back into the Special Operations community with the 75th Ranger Regiment. After graduating from the U.S. Naval War College, he was an action officer for Joint Special Operations Command during the Gulf War. After Iraq, he commanded an Airborne and then a Ranger Battalion, and then took a Senior Service College Fellowship at Harvard University, returning to command the Ranger Regiment.

From the field with the Rangers, he became a Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, then returned to troop duty as Assistant Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne, then as its Chief of Staff. He then deployed to the Afghanistan War (2001-) as Chief of Staff of Task Force 180.

Returning to Washington, he was Vice Director for Operations of the Joint Staff, then commanded the Joint Special Operations Command until June 2008, when he took over as Director of the Joint Staff. He was promoted to four-star general and sent to Afghanistan in June 2009.