From left to right: Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta; Vice President Joe Biden; and President Barack Obama observe the honor guard during the change of responsibility ceremony on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Sept. 30, 2011. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of U.S. and international and forces in Afghanistan, talk as they walk to the force's headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 9, 2012. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, receives a mountaintop briefing from American and Afghan Special Forces on Camp Morehead, Afghanistan, April 23, 2012. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with a child at the annual National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp in Arlington, Va., May 25, 2012. The child is participating on behalf of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, which sponsored the event. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, salutes during the playing of the national anthem as Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, look on during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., May 28, 2012. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
A South Korean soldier briefs U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on points of interest at the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea, Nov. 11, 2012. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deanie, discuss U.S. ice-breaking capabilities and polar operations with Coast Guard Capt. George Pellissier, left, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star, a polar icebreaker homeported in Seattle, Oct. 3, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan W. Bradshaw
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies on the Defense Department's response to the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2013. Testimony also included the findings of the department's internal review following the attack. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left center, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walks with Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, right center, commander of U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., left, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 6, 2013. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with Maj. Gen. James C. McConville, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, as they arrive at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Paktika province, Afghanistan, April 7, 2013. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with U.S. service members on Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 25, 2013. Dempsey addressed a variety of issues, including sequestration, regional security and readiness. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chad C. Strohmeyer
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shakes hands with Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen during Allen's retirement ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., April 29, 2013. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, receives a briefing on the U.S. Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's current mission while visiting Scott Air Force Base, Ill., June 19, 2013. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deanie, have breakfast with soldiers stationed on Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Dec. 10, 2013. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with Malaysian Gen. Tan Sri Dato' Sri Zulkifeli, chief of Malaysia's defense forces, inside "The Tank" at the Pentagon, Jan. 9, 2014. The two defense chiefs met to discuss issues of mutual importance. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, re-enlists U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary Garcia for six more years after meeting with troops on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Feb. 26, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey points out a photo of the U.S. military's branch chiefs to his South Korean counterpart, South Korean Navy Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, at the Pentagon, March 11, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to the audience as Lizzy Yaggy, surviving daughter of Marine Corps Maj. David Laurence Yaggy, stands next to him during the 2014 Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Honor Guard Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., March 27, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presents a U.S. soldier with an award during a ceremony on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 2, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, center left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other top military leaders testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
A child at the annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp for children in Arlington, Va., shows off a selfie with guest speaker Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, May 23, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, inspects troops with British Gen. Sir Nicholas Houghton, chief of Britain's defense staff, during an honor guard ceremony to kick off a meeting of U.S. and British defense counterparts in London, June 10, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, looks at one of the trainer jets members of the Vietnam Air Division 372 use in Da Nang, Vietnam, Aug. 15, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walks with Vietnamese Chief of Defense Lt. Gen. Do Ba Ty at the Ministry of Defense in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug. 14, 2014. Dempsey was the first chairman to visit the country since the Vietnam War. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
French Army Gen. Pierre de Villiers, foreground, chief of defense staff, helps place the French Legion of Honor medal on U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, center, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Paris, Sept. 18, 2014. The medal, established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, is the highest decoration in France. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his French counterpart, Gen. Pierre de Villiers, lay a wreath at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy, France, Sept. 19, 2014. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, right, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, welcomes Colombian Army Gen. Juan Pablo Rodriguez Barragan, chief of Colombia's Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the Pentagon, Sept. 25, 2014. The two defense leaders met to discuss issues of mutual importance. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presents the Chairman's Cup trophy to Army team captain Frank Barroquiero during the Warrior Games tailgate celebration at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Oct. 4, 2014. The top overall performing service branch receives the trophy. The Army team broke the Marines four-year streak of winning this award. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deanie, open a USO show for U.S. service members and their families on Naval Station Rota, Spain, Dec. 6, 2014. Dempsey was visiting U.S. service members deployed outside the United States during the holidays. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, promotes a soldier during the 115th Army-Navy game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Dec. 13, 2014. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Benjamin "Benny" Gantz, chief of the Israeli defense staff, talk to reporters at the Pentagon, Jan. 8, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, right, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace during a recorded interview at the Pentagon, Jan. 9, 2015. Dempsey answered questions on a variety of topics, including the recent terrorist attack in Paris, ongoing operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, and the mission in Afghanistan. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shakes hands with Texas A&M University alumni in College Station, Texas, Feb. 18, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Monica Sadler, the wife of U.S. Army Col. Nestor Sadler, commander of U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll, gives a shell necklace to U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, upon his arrival on Bucholz Army Airfield, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, Feb. 21, 2015. U.S. Army Col. Nestor Sadler, center, looks on. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi conduct a press conference in Baghdad, March 9, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sings a pair of Irish tunes during the 2015 Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., March 18, 2015. DoD photo by EJ Henson
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, right, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his South Korean counterpart, Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, observe a formation of South Korean troops during an honor ceremony at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, March 27, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with the graduating class of cadets during his visit to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., April 22, 2015. Dempsey was on a two-day tour of the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy and Harvard University. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greets wounded warrior Romulo Camargo, a retired Army chief warrant officer, and his family at the 26th National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., May 24, 2015. The concert included musical performances, documentary footage and dramatic readings to honor the fallen and comfort the grieving. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with service members assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment on Fort Hood, Texas, June 18, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, center, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, prepares to help extinguish the flame signaling the end of the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games during the games' closing ceremony on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., June 28, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, signs a baseball for a child during the game between the Washington Nationals and San Fransisco Giants at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., July, 4, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, right, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks to reporters after visiting with leaders and service members supporting the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 19, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, looks out from a helicopter while departing from Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 19, 2015, where he visited service members supporting the mission. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, signs the wall of the recreation room of a remotely piloted aircraft squadron at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 12, 2015. The base is a command and control facility to engage in daily overseas contingency operations of remotely piloted aircraft systems, which fly missions across the globe. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presents a wreath during a ceremony honoring fallen Irish military veterans at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin, Aug. 18, 2015. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returns a salute to a U.S. Marine Corps security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Sept. 9, 2015. Dempsey was in Germany to meet with military leaders and discuss military-to-military relationships. DoD photo by D. Myles Cullen
President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the new chairman, applaud outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey during the change of responsibility ceremony at Summerall Field, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Va., Sept. 25, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen