Richard Myers
| Richard Myers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
March 1, 1942 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1965–2005 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff North American Aerospace Defense Command U.S. Space Command Air Force Space Command Pacific Air Forces Fifth Air Force |
| Battles/wars |
Vietnam War Iraq War |
| Awards |
Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Air Medal (19) Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| Other work |
Northrop Grumman, Board of Directors President, Kansas State University, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Medisend College of Biomedical Engineering Technology and General Richard B. Myers Veterans Program. |
Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) is the 14th president of Kansas State University and a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force 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.
Myers became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs on October 1, 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 September 30, 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 November 15, 2016.[2]
Early life
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.[3] He was commissioned by Detachment 270 of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at KSU.[4] He graduated from Auburn University Montgomery with a Master of Business Administration in 1977.[3] 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 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.[3]
Commander and Chairman
Prior to becoming Chairman, Myers served as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from March 2000 to September 2001. 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.
From August 1998 to February 2000, Myers was Commander in Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. 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. Prior to assuming that position, he was Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, from July 1997 to July 1998. From July 1996 to July 1997 he served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon; and from November 1993 to June 1996, Myers was Commander of U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
Meyers was the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the September 11, 2001, terror attacks because CJCS Shelton was en route to Europe. However, at the time the Pentagon was attacked, he was on Capitol Hill and not in the Pentagon. He did leave Capitol Hill and spent the remainder of the day in the Pentagon. His office was not damaged during the attack. He officially took position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1, 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.
Awards and decorations
 |
Command Pilot Badge |
 |
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge |
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Since 1999, General Myers is an Air Force Gray Eagle. He also received the Badge of the Commander of the Military Forces (Paraguay).
Retirement and post-retirement
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. On September 30, 2005, he retired and was succeeded by General Peter Pace.
On November 9, 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.[5]
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.[6]
On July 26, 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.[4]
On April 14, 2016, Myers was selected as the interim president of Kansas State University, which he began on April 20.[7] On November 15, 2016, the Board of Regents removed his interim title and announced Myers would become the university's 14th president.[8]
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.
Personal life
Myers and his wife, the former Mary Jo Rupp, have three children: two daughters and a son.
His publications
- 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
- "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".[9]
- "Medisend College and The General Richard B. Myers Veterans Program are dedicated to assisting veterans in their pursuit of higher education. We appreciate the sacrifice you have made for our country and are committed to providing you with high quality education, viable job opportunities and the potential for a lifetime of financial security. We are committed to your success and will support you every step of the way."
Notes
- ↑ "Board of Regents Announce Interim President at Kansas State University". kansasregents.org. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "New K-State President Richard Myers says his "honeymoon is over"". 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- 1 2 3 "GENERAL RICHARD B. MYERS".
- 1 2 Ceremony program, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Distinguished Alumni Induction, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, 26 July 2011, page 4.
- ↑ "Citations for Recipients of the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom" (Press release). Office of the Press Secretary, White House. November 9, 2005.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
- ↑ Hanna, John (2016-04-14). "Ex-joint chiefs chairman named interim Kansas State leader". Washington Times. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
- ↑ "Richard Myers, retired Air Force general, selected as 14th president of Kansas State University". 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- ↑ Sands, Philippe (2008). Torture Team. London: Penguin Books. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-14-103132-3.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richard Myers. |
- Kansas State University profile
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Myers on Eyes on the Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on July 15, 2010
- Senate Armed Services Committee Inquiry into the Treatment of Cetainees I’m U.S. Custody, United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, 2008
- General Richard B. Myers Veterans Biomedical Equipment Technology Program
- Medisend College of Biomedical Engineering Technology
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