David Howell Petraeus (IPA-enp??tre?.?spron; born November 7, 1952) is a United States Army general and the 10th and current Commander of the United States Central Command. Petraeus previously served as Commanding General of Multi-National Force - Iraq (Multinational Force Iraq) (MNF-I) from January 26, 2007 to September 16, 2008. As Commander of MNF-I, Petraeus oversaw all coalition forces in Iraq. Petraeus has a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy from which he graduated in 1974 as a distinguished cadet (top 5% of his class). He was the General George C. Marshall (George Marshall) Award winner as the top graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College class of 1983. He subsequently earned a M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) in 1985 and a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in International Relations in 1987 from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He later served as Assistant Professor of International Relations at the United States Military Academy and also completed a fellowship at Georgetown University.

Some news reports have speculated that Petraeus may have interest in running for the presidency (President of the United States), especially after he visited a school known for hosting the presidential debates, Saint Anselm College. Despite these accounts, Petraeus has categorically asserted that he has no political ambitions. On June 23, 2010, the Obama administration announced that Petraeus will succeed General Stanley McChrystal as commanding general in Afghanistan, technically a demotion from his current position as Commander of United States Central Command, which oversees the military efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Africa.