David McKiernan

David McKiernan is a general in the United States Army, currently commanding the International Security Assistance Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Afghanistan. He was the Ground Component Commander of the conventional land forces that invaded Iraq in 2003.

He has been a commander or operations officer for every level from platoon to Third United States Army, to the United States Army (i.e., DCSOPS, or deputy chief of staff for operations).

Post-Iraq
He was made a full general in 2005, and assigned as commander of USAREUR, the land component commander for United States European Command. He went to ISAF from that job.

Iraq War and immediate aftermath
McKiernan commanded the invasion force, having objected to his being given too small a force for securing the battle area. His disagreement over this, with Donald Rumsfeld, then the Secretary of Defense, may have led to his not being assigned to stay in Iraq after the invasion.

Prior European service
From August 1998 until September 1999, he served as DCSOPS for USAREUR and Seventh United States Army during a period of simultaneous operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, and Kosovo.

In July 1996, General McKiernan joined the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff G-2/G-3 both forward deployed in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and also in Rheindahlen, Germany. He then became the 1st Infantry Division Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver).

Early career
He entered the Army through the Reserve Officers Training Corps at the College of William and Mary.