Obama Naming Next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama is expected to name Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday.

The four-star general will succeed Adm. Mike Mullen, who will retire from the position on Oct. 1.

Dempsey served two combat tours in Iraq where he commanded the 1st Armored Division shortly after the 2003 invasion and later ran the U.S. effort to train Iraqi security forces.  Dempsey also served as the acting commander of U.S. Central Command, which has responsibility for U.S. military affairs in the Middle East.

Prior to assuming the job as Army chief of staff in early April, Dempsey spent two years heading the Army's Training and Doctrine Command.

This latest change of command at the Pentagon comes as part of a broad reshuffling of the president's entire military team.  Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is also set to retire, will be replaced by CIA director Leon Panetta.  Panetta's position, in turn, will be filled in by the top military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Adm. Mullen: US Pursuing 'Limited Objectives' in Libya

ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- The United States is focused on "limited objectives" as part of the coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, and will take a "supporting role" in the coming days, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday.

"The French were the first ones in yesterday, in terms of starting to establish the no-fly zone. The United States is taking the lead in terms of the coalition," Mullen told ABC’s Christiane Amanpour. "And we look to, in the next few days, transition that to a coalition leadership."

Mullen said getting the no-fly zone in place "has been successful so far," taking out Libya's air defenses, and limiting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's ability to fly planes or continue marching forces toward the rebel-held Benghazi.

"We're very focused on the limited objectives that the president has given us and actually the international coalition has given us, in terms of providing the no-fly zone so that he cannot attack his own people, to avoid any kind of humanitarian massacre, if you will, and to provide for the humanitarian corridors, humanitarian support of the Libyan people," Mullen said.

Mullen did not say that removing Gadhafi from power was a direct objective of the no-fly zone, and would not speculate on the length of time needed for coalition forces to operate.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio