Download link General Richard B. Myers retired as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 October, 2005, after serving over 40 years in the US Air Force. During his term as Chairman, he served as principal military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council.
General Myers led the US Armed Forces during a time of great threat to the Nation’s security. He began his term just a few weeks after the September 11th attacks, and was instrumental in guiding the US strategy for the War on Terrorism. During his tenure as Chairman, the US led international efforts to topple the Taliban and deny Al Qaida’s safe haven in Afghanistan, and to defeat the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. He also oversaw the US military’s role in relief efforts for the tsunami that struck the Pacific in December of 2004, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
A native of Kansas City, Kansas, and a 1965 graduate of Kansas State University, General Myers also served as Vice Chairman and Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has held command positions at every level, including Commander of US Space Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Pacific Air Forces, US Forces Japan, and two fighter wings. A fighter pilot with over 4,100 hours, General Myers logged more than 600 combat hours during the Vietnam conflict.
His legacy can be found throughout the US Armed Forces and throughout the world: in the 50 million newly-freed people in Afghanistan and Iraq, in countless lives saved from natural disasters, and in a transformed military better prepared to protect the homeland and meet future threats.
