AGE: 56
OCCUPATION: General, U.S. Central Command chief
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 1
PRO: He was a key architect and implementer of the surge in Iraq, which many credit with reducing sectarian violence and civilian casualties. Now he has turned his attention to Afghanistan and Pakistan — and, some conservatives hope, a possible 2012 presidential bid.
CON: Troops are already stretched thin, and the public is weary of entering into another drawn-out war.