Gen. David Petraeus
Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
"Tell me how this ends."
Biography
David Petraeus was the most intellectually prominent American general of his era — a Princeton PhD who had written his dissertation on the lessons of Vietnam and then applied those lessons in Iraq before bringing them to Afghanistan. When Obama fired McChrystal in June 2010, Petraeus stepped down from his higher position as CENTCOM commander to take direct command of ISAF in Afghanistan. He continued McChrystal's counterinsurgency approach, overseeing the surge's implementation and the night raids that killed scores of Taliban commanders. He left Afghanistan in July 2011 to become CIA Director, before resigning in 2012 after pleading guilty to mishandling classified information he had shared with his biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell.
Did you know?
When Obama appointed Petraeus to replace McChrystal in Afghanistan, Petraeus was asked to accept a demotion — taking a theater-level command he had previously outranked. He accepted, understanding the political importance of continuity of command. He later became CIA Director but resigned in 2012 after mishandling classified information shared with his biographer.
Key Battles
Battle of Kamdesh
October 3, 2009 · 350 total casualties
Kamdesh was a microcosm of the war's strategic incoherence: an outpost established for political-diplomatic reasons (to maintain local relationships and presence) rather than military ones, sited in an impossible defensive position, scheduled for closure, and attacked before the withdrawal could happen. The battle was dramatized in Sebastian Junger's book 'Outpost' (later 'The Outpost' film). It led directly to a reassessment of the isolated outpost strategy and the closure of dozens of similar positions.
Battle of Marjah
US-led Coalition / Afghan Government victoryFebruary 13 – June 2010 · 300 total casualties
Marjah exposed the fundamental problem with the surge strategy: military success could not create political legitimacy. The Afghan government administrators flown in after the battle proved corrupt, incompetent, or intimidated into ineffectiveness. NATO commander McChrystal's admission that Marjah was a 'bleeding ulcer' months after the operation ended was a candid admission that military victories in Afghanistan didn't translate into the political progress needed to win.
Battle of Sangin
US-led Coalition / Afghan Government victoryJune 2010 – September 2011 · 1,400 total casualties
Sangin exemplified the intersection of insurgency and narco-economics. The US and NATO had made a conscious decision early in the war not to eradicate poppy crops — the main income source for 90% of local farmers — to avoid alienating the population. This decision left the Taliban with a multi-billion dollar revenue stream that funded the very fighters killing coalition soldiers. Sangin was eventually turned over to Afghan forces in 2014; it fell to the Taliban in 2017.
Life Journey
Timeline
November 7, 1952
🌅 Birth
Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
1974
📚 Education
Graduated West Point in top 5% of class
1987
📚 Education
Earned PhD from Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School
2007–2008
⚔️ Battle
Commanded Multi-National Force Iraq during the surge; violence drops 80%
June 2010 – July 2011
⚔️ Battle
Replaced McChrystal as ISAF commander; oversaw surge in Helmand and Kandahar
November 2012
milestone
Resigned CIA directorship; later pled guilty to mishandling classified information