David D. McKiernan

David D. McKiernan (born 11 December 1950) is a retired United States Army four-star general who served in Afghanistan as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). He served concurrently as Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A) from 6 October 2008 to 15 June 2009.

Prior to Afghanistan, McKiernan was Commanding General, United States Army, Europe and Seventh United States Army from 14 December 2005 to 2 May 2008. Before promotion to four-star rank, he served as Commanding General, Third United States Army and Coalition Forces Land Component Command from 2002 to 2004, where he commanded all allied ground forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and as Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command, the army's largest major command, from 2004 to 2005.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said new leadership was needed as the administration of President Barack Obama launched a new strategy in the seven-year-old War in Afghanistan. McKiernan was replaced by two generals, General Stanley A. McChrystal (Commander) and Lieutenant General David M. Rodriguez (Deputy Commander), ISAF and USFOR-A. McKiernan saw the Fedayeen Saddam fighters as a major threat and one of the "centers of gravity" in Iraq, while Franks dismissed the importance of the irregulars. McKiernan responded:

Awards and decorations McKiernan awards and decorations include, but are not limited to: