Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.
Francis Joseph Dunford, Jr. ( born May 14, 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a general of the United States Marine Corps ( USMC) and since February 10, 2013 Commander of the International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF) and U.S. Forces Afghanistan ( USFOR -A). Previously, he served from October 2010 to December 2012 as Assistant Commandant 32 of the Marine Corps.
Education and Career
Dunford grew up in Quincy on near Boston and attended after high school, the Catholic Saint Michael 's College in Colchester, from which he graduated in 1977 and that same year the Marine Corps joined, where he worked until 1981 in various uses, including as a platoon leader, then a year as adjutant to the commander in III. Marine Expeditionary Force was used. Between 1988 and '91 Dunford worked as an instructor at the College of the Holy Cross and the officer school at the Marine Corps Base Quantico and in 1992 was again as adjutant in the advanced general staff of the then Commandant of the Marine Corps, Carl E. Mundy, Jr. appointed. This service position followed from 1995 functions in different regiments of the Marine Corps.
Dunfords secondary education includes a Master's degree in Government from Georgetown University, Washington, DC, and in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, Massachusetts; also a number of internships in relevant military institutions such as the U.S. Army War College.
Service in the rank of general
As Brigadier General Dunford served from 1999 as deputy commander of the U.S. 1st Marine Division; during this time was stationed on a total of 22 months in Iraq. Subsequently, he was from 2005 to 2007, first as Director of Operations Division, Plans, Policies and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, then the rank of major general about half a year Vice Director for Operations (J- 3) in the Joint Chiefs of Staff before he was promoted to Lieutenant General in April 2008 and, Plans, Policies and Operations, in turn, served from then on as Commandant of Operations Division at the Marine headquarters in Washington. From 2009 to 2010 he commanded the I Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces, U.S. Central Command, before becoming the General finally took the post of Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on 22 October 2010 under carriage, he 15 to December 2012 held.
On November 14, 2012 Dunford was to succeed John R. Allen ( USMC), which was provided at this time for the post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, but ultimately in following an investigation against him in the wake of Petraeus affair to his dismissal asked to retire, nominated as commander of ISAF and U.S. Forces Afghanistan; He took over this command finally on February 10.
Awards
Selection of decorations, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of Military Awards:
- Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf
- Legion of Merit
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal with star
- Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three stars
- Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal
- Iraq Campaign Medal with two stars