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hide captionGen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, in November of 2013.
Paul J. Richards /AFP/Getty Images
Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, in November of 2013.
Paul J. Richards /AFP/Getty Images
The nation's top military officer, Gen. Martin Dempsey, is disputing former Defense Secretary Robert Gates' contention that President Obama is suspicious of senior military leaders.
In an interview with NPR on Tuesday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he's never picked up on those feelings from the White House.
In his book, Duty, Gates says President Obama was distrustful of the military and its motives, complaining the military was trying to box him in on sending more troops to Afghanistan. Dempsey sees it differently.
"I have never questioned whether the National Security staff, the president of the United States or the vice president trusted me," Dempsey said. "I always felt that they would tell me if they didn't. I can't speak for why Secretary Gates felt that way, I do not."
Gates recommended Dempsey for the top military job before retiring in 2011. Dempsey says he hopes the book will spark a discussion about the relationship between military and civilian leaders.
