Dempsey ’74 Made Honorary British Knight

Martin Dempsey, who retired September 2015 after serving 41 years in the Army, has received an honorary knighthood of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, according to a press release on Monday from the British embassy in Washington, D.C. The honor "was awarded in recognition of General Dempsey's steadfast commitment to UK-US defense cooperation," it states. "Throughout his years in public service, he has fostered trust and understanding between the UK's Ministry of defense and the Pentagon. His leadership has been a driving force behind closer collaboration in all aspects of policy, operations and welfare." The release singles out his 2013 reconvening of the Combined Chiefs of Staff Conference, which was initially established to better direct U.S.-British operations during World War II. Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the U.S., will present the award to Dempsey at a later date, Kelly Hysan, a spokeswoman for the embassy, said in an email to Military.com. "The UK-US relationship is critical to much of the UK’s defense and security architecture, and General Dempsey has played a crucial role in maintaining the strong bonds between our two militaries," Darroch said in the release. Read More