David D. McKiernan (born December 11, 1950) is a retired United States Army four-star general who served in Afghanistan as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). He served concurrently as Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A) from October 6, 2008, to June 15, 2009. Prior to Afghanistan, McKiernan was Commanding General, United States Army, Europe and Seventh United States Army from December 14, 2005, to May 2, 2008. Before promotion to four-star rank, he served as Commanding General, Third United States Army and Coalition Forces Land Component Command from 2002 to 2004, where he commanded all allied ground forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and as Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command, the army's largest major command, from 2004 to 2005. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said new leadership was needed as the administration of President Barack Obama launched a new strategy in the seven-year-old War in Afghanistan. McKiernan was replaced by two generals, General Stanley A. McChrystal (Commander) and Lieutenant General David M. Rodriguez (Deputy Commander), ISAF and USFOR-A. Army career McKiernan graduated from the College of William & Mary with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1972. He was commissioned from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and entered active duty as an Armor officer. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Shippensburg University and an honorary doctorate in public service from William & Mary. McKiernan's commands have included: 1st Battalion, 35th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division, 1988–1990; 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 1993–1995; 1st Cavalry Division, 1999–2001; Third United States Army/Combined Forces Land Component Command, 2002–2004. Seventh United States Army/United States Army Europe, 2005–2008 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and United States Forces – Afghanistan, 2008–2009 McKiernan gained experience in the Balkans as a staff officer in the 1990s. In July 1996, McKiernan joined the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff G2/G3, forward deployed in both Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rheindahlen (Mönchengladbach), Germany. From August 1998 until September 1999, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters, United States Army, Europe and Seventh Army during a period of simultaneous operations in Bosnia, Albania, and Kosovo. Prior to these appointments McKiernan served in the VII Corps Headquarters during the Gulf War and then as the G3 in the 1st Cavalry Division (approx 1992-3) in the rank of lieutenant colonel. The first appointment was probably his first