American Air Force general (born 1942)
Richard Bowman Myers
(born 1 March 1942) is a retired
United States Air Force
general
who served as the 15th
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
. As chairman, Myers was the highest ranking uniformed officer of the United States military forces. He also served as the 14th president of
Kansas State University
from 2016 to 2022.
Myers became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs on 1 October 2001. In this capacity, he served as the principal military advisor to the
President
, the
Secretary of Defense
, and the
National Security Council
during the earliest stages of the
War on Terror
, including planning and execution of the
2003 invasion of Iraq
. On 30 September 2005, he retired and was succeeded by General
Peter Pace
. His Air Force career included operational command and leadership positions in a variety of Air Force and Joint assignments.
Myers began serving as the interim President of Kansas State University in late April 2016,
[1]
and was announced as the permanent president on 15 November 2016.
[2]
On 24 May 2021, Myers announced that we would be retiring from his duties as President of Kansas State University, and that his last day would be 11 February 2022.
[3]
He was succeeded by President
Richard Linton
, the former Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University on 14 February 2022.
[4]
Early life
[
edit
]
Myers was born in
Kansas City, Missouri
. His father owned a hardware store and his mother was a homemaker. He graduated from
Shawnee Mission North High School
in 1960. He graduated from Kansas State University (KSU) with a
Bachelor of Science
in
mechanical engineering
in 1965 where he was a member of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
fraternity.
[5]
He was commissioned by Detachment 270 of the
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
at KSU.
[6]
He graduated from
Auburn University at Montgomery
with a
Master of Business Administration
in 1977.
[5]
Myers has attended the
Air Command and Staff College
at
Maxwell Air Force Base
,
Alabama
; the
U.S. Army War College
at
Carlisle Barracks
,
Pennsylvania
; and the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at
Harvard University
's
John F. Kennedy School of Government
.
Myers entered the
United States Air Force
in 1965 through the
Reserve Officer Training Corps
program. He received pilot training from 1965 to 1966 at
Vance Air Force Base
,
Oklahoma
. Myers is a command pilot with more than 4,100 flying hours in the
T-33 Shooting Star
,
C-37
,
C-21
,
F-4 Phantom II
,
F-15 Eagle
and
F-16 Fighting Falcon
, including 600 combat hours in the F-4.
[5]
During his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Myers often flew official aircraft such as the Gulfstream
C-37A
and
C-37B
by himself during official trips.
[7]
According to his 2009 autobiography (
Eyes on The Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security)
, "one of the pleasures he had as both Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was to be able to sometimes fly on his required travels and stay pilot-qualified."
[7]
Commander and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
[
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]
From November 1993 to June 1996, Myers was Commander of
United States Forces Japan
and
Fifth Air Force
at
Yokota Air Base
, Japan and From July 1996 to July 1997 Myers served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at
the Pentagon
. Myers received his fourth-star in 1997 when he was appointed as commander in chief of
Pacific Air Forces
.
[5]
He commanded the Pacific Air Forces at
Hickam Air Force Base
,
Hawaii
, from July 1997 to July 1998. From August 1998 to February 2000, Myers was commander in chief of the
North American Aerospace Defense Command
and
United States Space Command
; Commander of the
Air Force Space Command
; and Department of Defense manager of the space transportation system contingency support at
Peterson Air Force Base
,
Colorado
. As commander, Myers was responsible for defending America through space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations.
Following the appointment of General
Joseph Ralston
as
Supreme Allied Commander Europe
(SACEUR), Myers was appointed by President
Bill Clinton
to succeed Ralston as
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
in February 2000. He assumed his duties on 29 February 2000.
[7]
As Vice Chairman, Myers served as the Chairman of the
Joint Requirements Oversight Council
, Vice Chairman of the Defense Acquisition Board, and as a member of the
National Security Council Deputies Committee
and the Nuclear Weapons Council. In addition, he acted for the chairman in all aspects of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System including participation in the Defense Resources Board.
In August 2001, a year after assuming the role of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President
George W. Bush
appointed Myers to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Myers was the first Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to be appointed chairman, since the role was established in 1987 after the enactment of
Goldwater?Nichols Act of 1986
.
[7]
September 11 Attacks
[
edit
]
On the
morning of 11 September 2001
Myers was on
Capitol Hill
to meet Georgia Senator
Max Cleland
for his scheduled courtesy calls before his Senate confirmation hearings to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
[7]
While waiting for the senator, Myers watched a television news network in the outer office of Senator Cleland that a plane had just hit the
North Tower of the World Trade Center
.
[7]
A few minutes later Myers was informed by his military aide Captain
Chris Donahue
about the hijacked plane that just hit the second tower of the
World Trade Center
. Later on General
Ralph Eberhart
, the
Commander-in-Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command
, managed to contact Myers and inform him about the recent hijacking situation. Myers then immediately left Capitol Hill to proceed back to
The Pentagon
, where he was informed that this time another commercial airplane had just hit the western side of The Pentagon. During the crisis, Myers became the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, since General
Hugh Shelton
was en route to Europe for a
NATO
Summit.
[7]
Upon arriving at The Pentagon and after a rendezvous with Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld
, Myers then conferred with Secretary Rumsfeld about the current situation and the next steps to be taken. Myers took command as the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for half of the day during the attacks on 11 September, until General Shelton arrived back in Washington after he aborted his flight to Europe at 5:40 p.m. local time.
[7]
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
[
edit
]
Myers was sworn in as the 15th
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
on 1 October 2001. He served as the principal military advisor to the
President
, the
Secretary of Defense
, and the
National Security Council
during the earliest stages of the
War on Terror
, including planning of the
War in Afghanistan
and planning and execution of the
2003 invasion of Iraq
.
[8]
[9]
[7]
[10]
A few days later, on 7 October 2001,
Operation Enduring Freedom
was initiated. Myers and General
Tommy Franks
, the commander of
United States Central Command
(CENTCOM), coordinated the early stage of Operation Enduring Freedom. Within three months, several radical terrorist groups had been toppled.
[10]
Myers also supported the involvement of NATO and allied coalition forces during the War on Terror. As a result of Operation Enduring Freedom, the political regime in Afghanistan was toppled and a new constitution was ratified in January 2004, which provided for
direct presidential elections on 9 October 2004
.
[10]
Operation Iraqi Freedom
[
edit
]
During his tenure as chairman, Myers also oversaw the early stage of the invasion of Iraq. Together with CENTCOM commander General Tommy Franks, Myers coordinated the plan for the Iraqi invasion and the reconstruction of the country, and also established a combined joint task force in order to focus on post-conflict issues in Iraq.
[7]
Operation Iraqi Freedom
was initiated on 20 March 2003, which was preceded by an airstrike on
Saddam Hussein's Palace
and followed by the
Fall of Baghdad
in April 2003. Operation Iraqi Freedom eventually led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein's 24-year regime and the
captured of Hussein
on 13 December 2003. Following Operation Iraqi Freedom, the
Coalition Provisional Authority
was established in Iraq and was succeeded by the
Iraqi Interim Government
, which presided over
parliamentary elections in 2005
.
[8]
[9]
In order to gain support on both the War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq, Myers often travelled abroad in order to strengthen military relations with other allied nations, such as
Mongolia
. He was the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to visit Mongolia. Myers met with
Mongolian President
Natsagiin Bagabandi
at
Ulaanbaatar
on 15 January 2004. As a result, the United States gained the support of the Mongolian government and Mongolia also deployed troops in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
[11]
[7]
Military transformation
[
edit
]
In February 2004
Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
was overthrown in a coup d'etat
, leading to conflict within the country. The United States deployed Marines to Haiti as part of the multinational
Operation Secure Tomorrow
from February to July 2004. On March 13, Myers visited the United States troops deployed to Haiti.
[12]
[13]
[14]
Together with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Myers conducted weekly press briefings at The Pentagon on the War on Terror.
[7]
One of Myers' achievements as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was his pursuit of the transformation of the United States military. Myers orchestrated substantive changes to the nation's Unified Combatant Command's plan following the September 11 attacks, leading to the establishment of
United States Northern Command
(USNORTHCOM) as the new Unified Combatant Command to consolidate and coordinate domestic defense.
[7]
[10]
It was also to support local, state and federal authorities in order to assist the newly created Department of Homeland Security, especially in responding to national emergencies. Following the establishment of USNORTHCOM, the
North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) was also merged into USNORTHCOM and the
United States Space Command
was merged in to the
United States Strategic Command
(USSTRATCOM) in order to consolidate and strengthen the nation's nuclear deterrent and space missions.
[10]
Like his predecessors, Myers also continued to promote a joint culture among the nation's military services in order to avoid
interservice rivalry
.
In order to emphasize the War on Terror, Myers created what was known as "National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism 2002-2005."
[10]
The Strategic Plan provided a new guidance to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, regional commanders and Unified Combatant Command commanders for a multi-pronged strategy that aimed at targeting global terrorist networks.
[10]
Myers' tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ended in September 2005 and he was succeeded by General
Peter Pace
, who had served as Myers' Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff.
[10]
Myers retired from active duty on 30 September 2005, after more than forty years of active service. His retirement ceremony was held at
Fort Myer, Virginia
, with President George W. Bush delivering the retirement remarks.
[7]
Awards and decorations
[
edit
]
Since 1999, General Myers is an Air Force Gray Eagle. He also received the Badge of the Commander of the Military Forces (Paraguay).
Other Recognition
[
edit
]
In 2001, General Myers received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement
presented by Awards Council member and Supreme Allied Commander Europe
General Joseph W. Ralston, USAF
.
[15]
Flight information
[
edit
]
- Rating: command pilot
- Flight hours: more than 4,100
[5]
- Aircraft flown: F-4, F-16, F-15, T-33, C-21 and C-37
Effective dates of promotion
[
edit
]
Retirement and post-retirement
[
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]
On 27 September 2005, only three days before leaving his post as chairman, Myers said of the
Iraq War
that, "the outcome and consequences of defeat are greater than
World War II
." His rise to and stint as chairman are chronicled in
Washington Post
reporter
Bob Woodward
's book,
State of Denial
, as well as his own book
Eyes on The Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security.
On 9 November 2005, Myers received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
. His citation reads:
For four decades, General Richard Myers has served our Nation with honor and distinction. He flew some 600 combat hours in the Vietnam War. He later served as Commander in Chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Myers played a central role in our Nation's defense while devoting himself to the well-being of the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. The United States honors General Richard Myers for his dedication to duty and country and for his contributions to the freedom and security of our Nation.
[16]
In 2006, Myers accepted a part-time appointment as a Foundation Professor of Military History at Kansas State University. That same year, he was also elected to the Board of Directors of
Northrop Grumman
Corporation, the world's third largest defense contractor. On 13 September 2006, he also joined the board of directors of
United Technologies Corporation
. He also serves on the boards of
Aon Corporation
,
John Deere
, the
United Service Organizations
and holds the Colin L. Powell Chair for National Security, Leadership, Character and Ethics at the
National Defense University
. He also has advised the Defense Health Board and served on the Army War College Board of Visitors.
[17]
On 26 July 2011, Myers was inducted into the
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
Distinguished Alumni in a ceremony at
Maxwell AFB
, Alabama, officiated by Lieutenant General Allen G. Peck, Commander,
Air University
.
[6]
On 14 April 2016, Myers was selected as the interim president of Kansas State University, which he began on 20 April.
[18]
On 15 November 2016, the Board of Regents removed his interim title and announced Myers would become the university's 14th president.
[19]
Myers currently serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Medisend College of Biomedical Engineering Technology and the General Richard B. Myers Veterans Program.
Medisend College of Biomedical Engineering Technology
.
On May 24, 2021, Myers announced he would retire from his role as president of Kansas State University as of 11 February 2022.
[20]
He released the following statement as part of his announced retirement, "Mary Jo and I truly loved our time at K-State and working with students, faculty and staff. Being president of my alma mater was one of the most fulfilling jobs I've ever had. It was an honor to help move K-State forward on many fronts. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with the many talented and dedicated people who comprise the K-State family."
Personal life
[
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]
Myers and his wife, the former Mary Jo Rupp, have three children: two daughters and a son. His son´s name is Richard Bowman Myers.
His publications
[
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]
- Myers, Richard B., and Malcolm McConnell.
Eyes on the Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security
. New York: Threshold, 2009.
ISBN
9781416560128
Quotes
[
edit
]
- "We train our people to obey the Geneva Conventions, it's not even a matter of whether it is reciprocated ? it's a matter of who we are".
[21]
Gallery
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
This article incorporates
public domain material
from
General Richard Myers Biography
.
United States Air Force
.
- ^
"Board of Regents Announce Interim President at Kansas State University"
.
kansasregents.org
. Retrieved
14 April
2016
.
- ^
"New K-State President Richard Myers says his "honeymoon is over"
"
. 15 November 2016. Archived from
the original
on 17 August 2018
. Retrieved
15 November
2016
.
- ^
"President Myers announces retirement"
.
www.k-state.edu
. Retrieved
25 February
2022
.
- ^
"New K-State President Richard Linton to assume duties in mid-February"
.
www.k-state.edu
. Retrieved
25 February
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
"General Richard B. Myers"
. Retrieved
9 August
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Ceremony program, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Distinguished Alumni Induction, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, July 26, 2011, page 4.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
Myers, Richard Bowman (17 March 2009).
Eyes on the Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security
. Threshold.
ISBN
978-1416560128
.
- ^
a
b
Perry, Mark (24 October 2017).
The Pentagon's Wars: The Military's Undeclared War Against America's Presidents
. Basic Books.
ISBN
978-0465079711
.
- ^
a
b
Woodward, Bob (30 September 2006).
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
. Simon & Schuster.
ISBN
978-0743272230
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
of Staff, Joint Chiefs (30 September 2005).
"15th Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Bowman Myers"
.
www.jcs.mil
. Retrieved
19 June
2020
.
- ^
"DoD News: Myers Thanks Mongolians for Iraqi Freedom Help"
. 13 January 2004
. Retrieved
19 June
2020
.
- ^
"Operation Secure Tomorrow"
.
www.globalsecurity.org
. Retrieved
20 June
2020
.
- ^
"Marines Clean-up after Operation Secure Tomorrow"
.
www.lejeune.marines.mil
. Retrieved
20 June
2020
.
- ^
"Haiti's President Forced Out; Marines Sent to Keep Order"
.
The New York Times
. 29 February 2004
. Retrieved
20 June
2020
.
- ^
"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement"
.
www.achievement.org
.
American Academy of Achievement
.
- ^
"Citations for Recipients of the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom"
(Press release). Office of the Press Secretary, White House. 9 November 2005.
- ^
"Bellum ≫ Special Guest: Gen. Richard Myers on NATO and the Defense Budget"
. Archived from
the original
on 16 March 2011
. Retrieved
2 February
2011
.
- ^
Hanna, John (14 April 2016).
"Ex-joint chiefs chairman named interim Kansas State leader"
.
Washington Times
. Retrieved
22 April
2016
.
- ^
"Richard Myers, retired Air Force general, selected as 14th president of Kansas State University"
. 15 November 2016
. Retrieved
15 November
2016
.
- ^
"Kansas State University President Richard Myers announces retirement"
.
KSN-TV
. 24 May 2021
. Retrieved
24 May
2021
.
- ^
Sands, Philippe
(2008).
Torture Team
. London: Penguin Books. p. 40.
ISBN
978-0-14-103132-3
.
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