U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Italy to meet with U.S. troops after visiting Israel to discuss regional threats and the state of the U.S.-Israeli military-to-military relationship.
The United States military needs to be forward-deployed because America does not want to “play a home game,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an all-hands call at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy.
During the event, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to service members, DoD civilians and local nationals, answering questions about the extremist threat, Russia and cyber security.
Dempsey said that when the budget gets tight, there is an inclination for many to think the best way to save is by bringing troops back from overseas postings and doing everything from the continental United States. “The truth is, in our line of work, the very last thing we want to do is play a home game,” he said. Story
Discussing threats from Iran or the vicious actions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has a different resonance when the conversation is in Israel rather than the United States, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said. Story