General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army (Ret.) has served in government for 38 and a half years, culminating his military career with six consecutive commands as a general officer. Five of those six commands were in combat – including the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and NATO and US Forces in Afghanistan. He then served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, following Senate confirmation by a vote of 94-0, during a period of significant achievement in the fight against Islamist extremists.

His many awards include four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Combat Action Badge, the Ranger tab, and master parachutist wings. Petraeus has also been decorated by 14 foreign countries and is believed to be the only person, while in uniform, to throw out the first pitch of a World Series game and do the coin toss for a Super Bowl. He was runner-up to Vladimir Putin for Time Person of the Year in 2007, the Daily Telegraph Man of the Year, and twice a Time 100 selectee. He was a Foreign Policy Top Public Intellectual three times, once Prospect magazine’s Public Intellectual of the Year, and one of US News and World Report’s Top 25 Leaders. He was also sanctioned by Russia in 2022.