Who is General Petraeus

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has announced that General Petraeus has been chosen to become Chief of the U.S. Central Command, where he will he will oversee U.S. forces in all the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Army Lt. General Ray Odierno has been tapped to take over Petraeus's job as Commanding General in Iraq.

Read more on this breaking story here.

He's a West Point grad, class of 1974. Commissioned into the Infantry upon graduation.

Earned MPA and Ph.D. degrees in international relations from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Former Assistant Professor of International Relations at the US Military Academy.

Master Parachutist and is Air Assault and Ranger qualified. He has held leadership positions in airborne, mechanized, and air assault infantry units in Europe and the United States, including command of a battalion in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and a brigade in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Spent two years at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, serving first as the Assistant Division Commander for Operations of the 82nd Airborne Division and then as the Chief of Staff of XVIII Airborne Corps.

Deployed on Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia, where he was the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations of the NATO Stabilization Force and the Deputy Commander of the US Joint Interagency Counter-Terrorism Task Force-Bosnia.

Former commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), during which he led the "Screaming Eagles" in combat throughout the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

First commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, which he led from June 2004 to September 2005, and the NATO Training Mission- Iraq, which he commanded from October 2004 to September 2005.

Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth.

Commander of the Multi-National Forces in Iraq since February 10, 2007, following his unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate.

Runner-up for Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2007.

Now, chosen to become Chief of U.S. Central Command, effective late summer 2008.

"Mr. Chairmen, Ranking Members, Members of the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to provide my assessment of the security situation in Iraq and to discuss the recommendations I recently provided to my chain of command for the way forward.

"At the outset, I would like to note that this is my testimony. Although I have briefed my assessment and recommendations to my chain of command, I wrote this testimony myself. It has not been cleared by, nor shared with, anyone in the Pentagon, the White House, or Congress.

"As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the surge are, in large measure, being met."

(Read the entire text.)

Display of the Service Star Banner first came about during World War I. During WWI and WWII most flags were hand made by mothers across the nation. One of the most famous flags was that of the five Sullivan brothers who all perished on the U.S.S. Juneau.

Each blue star on the flag represents a service member in active duty. A gold star is displayed if a service member is killed in action or dies in service. If several stars are displayed in one family the gold star takes the honor of being placed at the top.

Display of a Service Star Banner is done during times of war. Once again families are displaying banners at home. Banners may be purchased through the internet, at stores, or made by hand.

Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. website.
Service Flags.com to purchase a Service Star Banner.

... you'll automatically be making a donation to Soldiers' Angels, sending mail and support to our service people overseas.

Doesn't that feel good?