Douglas Lute Douglas Edward Lute , born November 3 , 1952 , is a retired United States Army lieutenant general . On May 23 , 2013 , President Obama nominated him to be United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization , with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary . On 15 May 2007 , Lute was appointed by George W . Bush to serve as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan . The New York " Times " referred to him as the " War Czar " , since he occupied a senior advisory position responsible for overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . He was asked to stay on by new President Barack Obama as Obama ' s Special Assistant and Senior Coordinator for Afghanistan and Pakistan . After leaving active duty in 2010 , Lute remained in his position at the National Security Staff . He is married to Jane Holl Lute , who served as the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009 through 2013 . Education . Born in Michigan City , Indiana on November 3 , 1952 , Lute graduated from the United States Military Academy ( also known as West Point ) in 1975 . His first assignment was to the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bindlach , Germany , where he commanded C Troop . He received an MPA degree from the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University in 1983 and taught in the Social Sciences department at West Point . Second Cavalry . Following attendance at the British Army Staff College , he returned to the Second Cavalry as operations officer , serving both at the squadron and regiment al levels . In 1990 – 91 he deployed and fought with the regiment in Operation Desert Storm , and later served on the staff of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army . Advancement . Lute commanded 1st Squadron , 7th Cavalry at Fort Hood , Texas in 1992 – 94 . He then served on the Joint Staff in the J - 5 Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy , and held a War College Fellowship at the Atlantic Council in Washington , D . C . From 1998 to 2000 he commanded the Second Cavalry Regiment , part of XVIII Airborne Corps , at Fort Polk , Louisiana . In 2001 , he was appointed Brigadier General . He served next as the executive assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for 14 months before joining the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt , Germany , as the Assistant Division Commander ( Support ) . He commanded Multinational Brigade East in Kosovo for 6 months in 2002 before being assigned to United States European Command in January 2003 as the Deputy Director of Operations . In June 2004 , Lute began more than two years as Director of Operations ( J - 3 ) at United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM ) , during which he oversaw combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other operations in the Middle East , Central Asia , and the Horn of Africa . He was appointed to the rank of Major General in 2004 , and to the rank of Lieutenant General in 2006 . He assumed duties as Director of Operations , the Joint Staff , in September 2006 . National security . On 28 June 2007 , the Senate confirmed Lute to serve as the Deputy National Security Advisor . He remained in the position after his retirement from active duty in 2010 . On 10 August 2007 , Lute stated that the United States should " consider " reinstating the military draft to relieve the " stressed " volunteer service from multiple tours of duty . This was immediately followed by a comment that it would be a major policy shift and that he did not see a current need for a draft . Awards and decorations . During his military career he received :