Four-Star General
General Stanley McChrystal was appointed commander of the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in the spring of 2009. In his initial assessment of the country McChrystal wrote that Afghanistan was on the brink of collapse. "Inadequate resources," he wrote, "will likely result in failure." President Obama subsequently approved the depolyment of 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan.

• Obama Tries to Shift Focus from McChrystal to War Effort