A closer look at Lt. Gen. McChrystal

When Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the surprise move to replace Gen. David McKiernan, the top general in Afghanistan, with Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, he said that "fresh thinking and fresh eyes" were needed to command President Obama's new strategy for the country.

McChrystal's resume is impressive: A West Point graduate, he was the chief of staff of military operations in Afghanistan before commanding clandestine special operations in Iraq. While much of his career is still classified, Time explains why his personal demeanor might help him succeed in his new high-profile post:

McChrystal proved adept at using intelligence to multiply the impact of the troops at his disposal when he commanded U.S. Special Forces in Iraq as they hunted down and killed al-Qaeda leaders such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. And unlike what some call McKiernan's "shy" demeanor and his desire — in Army parlance — to "stay inside his lane," McChrystal is eager to take the spotlight.

Some of McChrystal's personal habits have also been making news. The New York Times reports that he often eats just one meal each day (in the evening), "to avoid sluggishness":

He is known for operating on a few hours' sleep and for running to and from work while listening to audio books on an iPod. In Iraq, where he oversaw secret commando operations for five years, former intelligence officials say that he had an encyclopedic, even obsessive, knowledge about the lives of terrorists, and that he pushed his ranks aggressively to kill as many of them as possible.

But there are a few bumps ahead for the nominee. McChrystal faces two serious roadblocks in his Senate confirmation: Fallout from the "friendly fire" death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman and an investigation into a pattern of detainee abuse by personnel under his command. The parents of Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals football player, have asked for an investigation of McChrystal. As AP reports:

In April 2004, McChrystal approved paperwork awarding Tillman a Silver Star after he was killed by enemy fire — even though he suspected the Ranger had died by fratricide, according to Pentagon testimony later obtained by the AP. The testimony showed that McChrystal sent a memo to top generals imploring "our nation's leaders," specifically the president, to avoid cribbing the "devastating enemy fire" explanation from the award citation for their speeches.

But most say McChrystal is likely to be confirmed. Even former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has been an extremely harsh critic of the Obama administration, praised the nomination:

"The decision to send Stan McChrystal ... is a good one. I think the choice is excellent. I think you'd be hard put to find anyone better than Stan McChrystal."

Gates has often said that Afghanistan cannot be won by military means alone. Roger Carstens, a senior nonresident fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former Special Forces officer, told The Washington Post how McChrsytal may help in non-military ways: "McChrystal's strength is in part his Rolodex and how he leverages the interagency":

The Afghanistan campaign — with its complex military command structure, patchwork of NATO and non-NATO forces, and large international civilian presence — presents a similar challenge but on a far larger scale, analysts said. "Afghanistan is the toughest team" to build, said a senior military officer.

It remains to be seen if McChrystal will have the same success in Afghanistan that he did in Iraq, but as Fred Caplan writes in Slate, the stakes are high:

We've heard this kind of talk before, of course. Fresh, new, and determined don't necessarily add up to victory. But the shift in command does mark a dramatic change from the uncertain muddle we've seen up to now. And Obama's whole presidency may rise or fall on whether it succeeds.

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