President Barack Obama holds a briefing on Afghanistan with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Situation Room at the White House on Oct. 30, 2009. Seated at the table clockwise from the President are NSC Advisor James L. Jones, Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps General James T. Conway, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead, WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Deputy National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force General Norton A. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the Army General George W. Casey Jr., Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James E. Cartwright, Secretary of Defense William Gates, and Vice President Joe Biden (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).