WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Monday nominated General Martin Dempsey, a relatively new US Army chief of staff, to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff amid intensifying war in Afghanistan and anti-militant aerial strikes in Pakistan. The term of the current chairman, Adm Michael Mullen, ends in September. Obama also nominated Admiral James Winnefeld, the current head of the US Northern Command, to serve as vice chairman. He tapped Gen Ray Odierno to replace Dempsey as the Armys chief of staff. The president, speaking at the White House, urged the Senate to confirm the three men as swiftly as possible in order to help ensure a seamless Pentagon transition. Obama praised Dempsey as one of the countrys most respected and combat-tested generals. I expect him to push all our forces to keep adapting and innovating, Obama said. We will provide what it takes to achieve our objectives in the current fight. Outgoing Defence Secretary Robert Gates released a statement praising Dempsey, Winnefeld, and Odierno for having excelled in key command and staff roles and possessing the right mix of intellectual heft, moral courage, and strategic vision. If confirmed by the Senate, Dempsey would be in the key position of being Obamas senior military adviser overseeing the drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He would also work with incoming Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who still needs to be confirmed by the Senate, in establishing priorities for cutting defense spending. Dempsey has extensive combat experience. He served as the commander of the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad in 2003, and then helped train Iraqi security forces in a subsequent tour of duty in Iraq. He also has served as acting commander of the US Central Command overseeing U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Central Asia. The selection of Dempsey is unusual partly because he took over as head of the Army only on April 11. In that brief period of time, Dempsey has earned strong praise for what is considered to be his outgoing personality. Among other things, the general receives a list of soldiers both in the United States and overseas every week and calls them to get their direct opinions on life in the Army. He spent last Friday in Washington meeting with children who have lost parents and other relatives in war-time military service. Obama said Odiernos leadership was critical to US-led coalition success in Iraq. He commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein, partnered with General (David) Petraeus to help bring down the violence, and then transferred responsibility to Iraqi forces, allowing us to remove some 100,000 American troops and end our combat mission, Obama said. Before his departure, Mullen said he expects a busy four months. Theres still a lot to do between now and the 1st of October, Mullen told Fox News . I expect a very busy and challenging four months. Appearing in several interviews Monday morning, Mullen said part of his job as chairman has been to try and close the trust gap between the United States and Pakistan, which has built up over many years. He and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently travelled there to show the strength in terms of our commitment. Certainly were going through a difficult patch right now after the (Osama) bin Laden operation, Mullen said. But he told another network that hes encouraged that the Pakistani government is launching a major offensive on militants in the North Waziristan area near the border with Pakistan. Its a very important fight and a very important operation, he said. Asked if a change of guard at the Joint Chiefs means a change of strategy in Afghanistan, he replied, We obviously have added these forces ... and weve really seen progress on the security side. ... We will sustain losses as we have in the last few days. ... That said, I am confident that by the end of the year, well be in a much, much better position.