David Howell Petraeus is a retired United States Army general and public official.
110 Facts About David Petraeus
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David Petraeus served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 6,2011, until his resignation on November 9,2012.
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David Petraeus later served as assistant professor of international relations at the United States Military Academy and completed a fellowship at Georgetown University.
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David Petraeus has repeatedly stated that he has no plans to run for elected political office.
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On June 23,2010, President Barack Obama nominated David Petraeus to succeed General Stanley McChrystal as commanding general of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, technically a step down from his position as Commander of United States Central Command, which oversees the military efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt.
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David Petraeus relinquished command of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan on July 18,2011, and retired from the US Army on August 31,2011.
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David Petraeus was later sentenced to two years of probation and fined $100,000 for the unauthorized removal and retention of classified material he gave to Broadwell.
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David Petraeus was born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, the son of Miriam Sweet, a librarian, and Sixtus David Petraeus, a sea captain.
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David Petraeus's father was a Dutch merchant mariner who emigrated to the United States at the start of World War II, from Franeker, the Netherlands, and his mother was American, a resident of Brooklyn, New York.
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Sixtus David Petraeus commanded a Liberty ship for the US for the duration of World War II.
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The family moved after the war, settling in Cornwall-on-Hudson, where David Petraeus grew up and graduated from Cornwall Central High School in 1970.
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David Petraeus went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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David Petraeus administered the oath of office at his son's 2009 commissioning into the Army after his son's graduation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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David Petraeus's son went on to serve as an officer in Afghanistan as a member of 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
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David Petraeus's official residence in the United States is a small property in the small town of Springfield, New Hampshire, which his wife inherited from her family.
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David Petraeus once told a friend that he was a Rockefeller Republican.
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David Petraeus earned the General George C Marshall Award as the top graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College Class of 1983 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
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From late 2005 through February 2007, David Petraeus served as commanding general of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the US Army Combined Arms Center located there.
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At both Fort Leavenworth and throughout the military's schools and training programs, David Petraeus integrated the study of counterinsurgency into lesson plans and training exercises.
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In recognition of the fact that soldiers in Iraq often performed duties far different from those for which they trained, David Petraeus stressed the importance of teaching soldiers how to think and how to fight, and the need to foster flexibility and adaptability in leaders.
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In 1981, David Petraeus became aide-de-camp to General John Galvin, then commanding general of the 24th Infantry Division.
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David Petraeus was then posted as an aide and assistant executive officer to the US Army Chief of Staff, General Carl Vuono, in Washington, DC.
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David Petraeus was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, where he was operated on by future US Senator Bill Frist.
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From 1997 to 1999, David Petraeus served in the Pentagon as executive assistant to the director of the Joint Staff and then to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen.
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In 2000, David Petraeus suffered his second major injury, when, during a civilian skydiving jump, his parachute collapsed at low altitude due to a hook turn, resulting in a hard landing that broke his pelvis.
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David Petraeus was selected for promotion to major general in 2001.
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In 2010, David Petraeus was nominated to command the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, which required Senate confirmation.
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David Petraeus was confirmed on June 30,2010, and took over command from temporary commander Lieutenant-General Sir Nick Parker on July 4,2010.
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David Petraeus's often repeated catchphrase was later incorporated into official military briefings and was eventually incorporated into the US Army Counterinsurgency Field Manual drafted with David Petraeus's oversight.
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In June 2004, less than six months after the 101st returned to the US, David Petraeus was promoted to lieutenant general and became the first commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq.
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In September 2004, David Petraeus wrote an article for The Washington Post in which he described the tangible progress being made in building Iraq's security forces from the ground up while noting the many challenges associated with doing so.
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The intervening time between the Iraq commands was spent at Fort Leavenworth, where David Petraeus further developed his military doctrine and pursued an important White House contact in Meghan O'Sullivan who was the principal adviser to the president on the war.
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In January 2007, as part of his overhauled Iraq strategy, President George W Bush announced that Petraeus would succeed Gen.
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David Petraeus noted the critical importance of helping Iraq increase its governmental capacity, develop employment programs, and improve daily life for its citizens.
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In June 2007, David Petraeus stated in an interview that there were "astonishing signs of normalcy" in Baghdad, and this comment drew criticism from Senate majority leader Harry Reid.
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David Petraeus warned that he expected that the situation in Iraq would require the continued deployment of the elevated troop level of more than 150,000 beyond September 2007; he stated that US involvement in Iraq could last years afterward.
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On September 7,2007, in a letter addressed to the troops he was commanding, David Petraeus wrote that much military progress had been made, but that the national-level political progress that was hoped for had not been achieved.
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David Petraeus noted that during the week before his testimony, the number of security incidents in Iraq was the lowest in over four years.
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On September 16,2008, Petraeus formally gave over his command in Iraq to General Raymond T Odierno in a government ceremony presided by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
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At the event, David Petraeus mentioned the difficulty in getting the Sons of Iraq absorbed into the central Government of Iraq and warned about future consequences if the effort stalled.
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On October 31,2008, David Petraeus assumed command of the United States Central Command headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
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One of his closest colleagues said that David Petraeus knew that defeating an insurgency required living among the people, convincing them that we were better than the insurgents.
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David Petraeus reiterated this view in a 2009 interview published in Parade magazine.
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In mid-August 2009, David Petraeus established the Afghanistan-Pakistan Center of Excellence within the USCENTCOM Directorate of Intelligence to provide leadership to coordinate, integrate and focus analysis efforts in support of operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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When questioned by journalist Philip Klein, David Petraeus said the original reporter "picked apart" and "spun" his speech.
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In March 2010, David Petraeus visited the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College to speak about Iraq and Afghanistan.
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David Petraeus spoke a few days after the seventh anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, noting the successful changes in Iraq since the US troop surge.
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The visit to Saint Anselm created rumors that David Petraeus was contemplating a run for the presidency; however, he denied the speculation, saying that he was not aware that the college had been the site of numerous presidential debates.
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On May 7,2010, David Petraeus announced that Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad was a "lone wolf" terrorist who did not work with others.
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General David Petraeus was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer in February 2009 and underwent two months of successful radiation treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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On June 15,2010, David Petraeus momentarily fainted while being questioned by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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David Petraeus quickly recovered and was able to walk and exit the room without assistance.
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On June 23,2010, President Obama announced that he would nominate Petraeus to succeed General Stanley A McChrystal as the commander of US Forces in Afghanistan.
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David Petraeus sought to recreate the "Sunni Awakening" in Iraq by offering financial inducements to former Taliban insurgents to integrate into Hamid Karzai's government, but the results were not impressive.
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In early March 2011, David Petraeus made a "rare apology" following a NATO helicopter airstrike under his command that resulted in the deaths of nine Afghan boys and the wounding of a 10th, as they gathered firewood in Eastern Afghanistan.
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David Petraeus relinquished command of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan on July 18,2011.
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David Petraeus received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for his service.
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David Petraeus retired from the US Army on August 31,2011.
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David Petraeus was sworn in at the White House on September 6 and then ceremonially sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia on October 11,2011.
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David Petraeus differed from Panetta in management style, as an article in The New York Times published just days before his resignation said; Panetta "wooed the work force and often did not question operational details, [while] Petraeus is a demanding boss who does not hesitate to order substandard work redone or details of plans adjusted".
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The Bureau traced the emails to Broadwell, and noted that Broadwell appeared to be exchanging intimate messages with an email account belonging to David Petraeus, which instigated an investigation into whether that account had been hacked into or was someone posing as David Petraeus.
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That same evening Clapper called David Petraeus and urged him to resign.
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David Petraeus had a strategy to influence military conditions by using press relations, both in theater of war and in Washington, according to critics of his military career.
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In January 2015, The New York Times reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department had recommended bringing felony charges against David Petraeus for providing classified information to Broadwell.
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David Petraeus denied the allegations and was reported to have had no interest in a plea deal.
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However, on Tuesday, March 3,2015, the US Justice Department announced that David Petraeus agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina to a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information.
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In March 2013, David Petraeus accepted the role of honorary chairman of the OSS Society.
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David Petraeus was named a visiting professor at Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York in July 2013.
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In September 2013 David Petraeus was harassed by students at CUNY while walking on campus.
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The president of the Currahee board of trustees announced May 6,2013, that David Petraeus agreed to serve on the board of trustees that preserves Camp Toccoa.
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In December 2014, David Petraeus was named a partner at KKR and remains chairman of the KKR Global Institute.
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David Petraeus joined the board of advisers of Team Rubicon on June 18,2013.
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In October 2013, Petraeus joined Harvard's John F Kennedy School of Government as a non-resident senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
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In 2016, the center announced a new project involving David Petraeus and focusing on strategic leadership.
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General David Petraeus was one of the "11 legendary generals" profiled in the 2014 National Geographic Channel feature "American War Generals".
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In 2015, David Petraeus suggested the US should arm members of the terror group Al-Nusra Front in Syria to fight ISIS.
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David Petraeus delivered the inaugural lecture in a series dedicated to his mentor and the former dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University, General Jack Galvin.
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David Petraeus delivered the inaugural lecture in a series dedicated to Admiral Stansfield Turner at the US Naval War College on August 7,2018.
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On June 12,2019, David Petraeus accepted the invitation of a three-year honorary professorship in the Institute of Conflict, Cooperation and Security at the University of Birmingham in England.
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General David Petraeus was the guest speaker at the 500th Night celebration for the US Military Academy's Class of 2020 at West Point, held on January 26,2019.
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On November 18,2016, an article by The Guardian cited "diplomatic sources" as having said that David Petraeus had entered the race for US Secretary of State in the Trump administration.
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David Petraeus confirmed his interest in the position during a BBC Radio 4 interview, stating that he would serve if asked.
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David Petraeus received support from Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein, suggesting that Democrats would keep an open mind concerning his confirmation.
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David Petraeus expressed his gratitude for Trump's consideration and deferred to former secretary of defense Robert Gates' endorsement when asked his opinion of Tillerson.
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David Petraeus has been an outspoken opponent of the US's strategy for withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the agreements made with the Taliban in preparation thereof.
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David Petraeus suggested that the removal of 18,000 contractors who maintained aircraft contributed to the surrender of Afghan government forces who ended up lacking air support against the Taliban.
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David Petraeus advised that American forces, drones, and close air support be used to secure Kabul Airport while the US communicates with the Taliban to prevent them from impeding the movement of individuals that are trying to evacuate.
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David Petraeus suggested that the resultant degradation of basic services and salaries for Afghan workers could ultimately force the Taliban to change their approach with the international community, but that it was too early to tell if the Taliban were reformed.
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David Petraeus expressed doubt that the US would become involved in the country while the Taliban was in power, outside of military and intelligence actions to protect US interests, and suggested that even the establishment of an embassy for diplomatic relations would not happen "any time soon".
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David Petraeus has been vocally critical of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, joining three other retired military generals to form the Strategic Advisory Council for the Defense of Ukraine in July 2022 to provide strategic expertise and operational assistance to Ukrainian forces.
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Early in 2022, as tensions mounted between Russia and Ukraine, David Petraeus attended a tabletop panel with Admiral Michael Mullen, Michele Flournoy, and Thomas Donilon to discuss economic sanctions, cyber defenses, and anti-Russian insurgency in Ukraine.
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In public appearances and interviews, David Petraeus has criticized not only Russia's motives for the invasion, but the tactics and standards of the country's military effort.
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On March 12,2022, David Petraeus spoke on One Nation with Brian Kilmeade, criticizing the Russian military's failed attempt to achieve a combined arms effect, which, according to David Petraeus, wasn't up to the normal standards anticipated by the United States or other NATO countries' militaries.
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In May 2022, David Petraeus commented that, in an attempt to create a stronger Russia, President Putin had instead strengthened the alliance between NATO countries.
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David Petraeus described Russian military logistics as overwhelming artillery strikes, leading to the question of whether Russia's military valued volume over accuracy.
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In mid- to late 2022, David Petraeus spoke further on the Western response to Russia's aggression and the impacts US involvement had on Ukraine's defense.
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David Petraeus has been a strong proponent of continued aid to Ukraine and increased NATO readiness for potential escalations by Russia and its allies.
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David Petraeus spoke of the need for the United States to prioritize military readiness to counter China and to increase aid for Ukraine in the annual defense policy bill.
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David Petraeus discussed the importance of deploying Patriot missile systems in Ukraine as an anti-ballistic missile system and discussed measures that the US and NATO would employ if Russia were to carry out a nuclear attack in Ukraine.
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David Petraeus expressed the belief that President Putin would eventually realize that the war is not sustainable on the battlefield and would agree to a negotiated resolution with Ukraine.
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David Petraeus has confirmed that he did not vote in the 2016 election.
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David Petraeus was named the second most influential American conservative by The Daily Telegraph as well as The Daily Telegraph 2007 Man of the Year.
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David Petraeus was named as one of the "75 Best People in the World" in the October 2009 issue of Esquire.
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On March 7,2009, David Petraeus received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
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September 26,2011, David Petraeus was listed as number 2 of the 50 for 2011.
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In January 2012, David Petraeus was named one of "The 50 Most Powerful People in Washington" by GQ magazine.
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David Petraeus was inducted January 29,2012, into the Reserve Officers Association's Minuteman Hall of Fame as the 2011 Inductee during the 2012 ROA National Security Symposium.
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In 2012, David Petraeus received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
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On November 19,2020, General David Petraeus became the first American military professional to deliver the annual Lee Knowles Lecture at Cambridge University's Trinity College.
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David Petraeus has been on the board of ISW since November 2013.