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H. R. McMaster

Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired United States Army general. In 2017, he became the 26th National Security Advisor, serving under President Donald Trump. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Born in Philadelphia, McMaster graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1984, and later earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His Ph.D. thesis was critical of American strategy and military leadership during the Vietnam War and served as the basis for his book Dereliction of Duty, which is widely read in the United States military. During the Gulf War, McMaster served as a captain in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, taking part in the Battle of 73 Easting.

After the Persian Gulf War, McMaster served as a military history professor at the United States Military Academy from 1994 to 1996, became a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Consulting Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).1 He held a series of staff positions in the United States Central Command. In 2004, he took command of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and fought the Iraqi insurgency in Tal Afar. He became a top counterinsurgency advisor to General David Petraeus before serving as the Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center. He also served as the Deputy to the Commander for Planning of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and, in 2012, became Deputy Commanding General of the Army Training and Doctrine Command.

In February 2017, McMaster succeeded Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor. He remained on active duty as a lieutenant general while serving as National Security Advisor, and retired in May 2018.23 McMaster resigned as National Security Advisor on March 22, 2018, effective April 9,456 and accepted an academic appointment to Stanford University in 2018.

Early life

McMaster was born in Philadelphia on July 24, 1962.7 His father, Herbert McMaster, was an infantryman who served with the United States Army in the Korean War while his mother, Marie C. "Mimi" McMaster (née Curcio),8 was a school teacher and administrator.9 He has a younger sister, Letitia.10 He went to grammar school at Norwood Fontbonne Academy, graduating in 1976; high school at Valley Forge Military Academy, graduating in 1980. He earned a commission as a second lieutenant upon graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1984. McMaster earned a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in American history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). His thesis was critical of American strategy in the Vietnam War, which was further detailed in his 1997 book Dereliction of Duty.11

Author: Dereliction of Duty

Main article: Dereliction of Duty (book)

McMaster's book Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam explores the military's role in the policies of the Vietnam War. The book was based on his Ph.D. dissertation at UNC.12 It harshly criticized high-ranking officers of that era, arguing that they inadequately challenged Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Lyndon B. Johnson on their Vietnam strategy. The book examines McNamara and Johnson's staff alongside the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other high-ranking military officers, and their failure to provide a successful plan of action either to pacify a Viet Cong insurgency or to decisively defeat the North Vietnamese Army. McMaster also details why military actions intended to indicate "resolve" or to "communicate" ultimately failed when trying to accomplish sparsely detailed, confusing, and conflicting military objectives. The book is widely read in Pentagon circles and included in military reading lists.1314

Military career

President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster have lunch with service members on July 18, 2017.

McMaster's first assignment after commissioning was to the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, where he served in a variety of platoon and company-level leadership assignments with 1st Battalion 66th Armor Regiment. In 1989, he was assigned to the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany, where he served until 1992, including deployment to Operation Desert Storm.

During the Gulf War in 1991 McMaster was a captain commanding Eagle Troop of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of 73 Easting.15 During that battle, though significantly outnumbered and encountering the enemy by surprise as McMaster's lead tank crested a dip in the terrain, the nine tanks of his troop destroyed 28 Iraqi Republican Guard tanks16 without loss in 23 minutes.17

McMaster was awarded the Silver Star. The now famous battle is featured in several books about Operation Desert Storm and is widely referred to in US Army training exercises. It was also discussed in Tom Clancy's 1994 popular nonfiction book Armored Cav.18

McMaster served as a military history professor at West Point from 1994 to 1996, teaching among other things the battles in which he fought. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1999.19

McMaster commanded 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment from 1999 to 2002, and then took a series of staff positions at U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), including planning and operations roles in Iraq.

In his next job, as lieutenant colonel and later colonel, McMaster worked on the staff of USCENTCOM as executive officer to Deputy Commander Lieutenant General John Abizaid. When Abizaid received four-star rank and became Central Command's head, McMaster served as Director, Commander's Advisory Group (CAG), described as the command's brain trust.

In 2003 McMaster completed an Army War College research fellowship at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. In 2004, he was assigned to command the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (3rd ACR). Shortly after McMaster took command the regiment deployed for its second tour in Iraq and was assigned the mission of securing the city of Tal Afar. That mission culminated in September with Operation Restoring Rights and the defeat of the city's insurgent strongholds. President George W. Bush praised this success, and the PBS show Frontline broadcast a documentary in February 2006 featuring interviews with McMaster. CBS's 60 Minutes produced a similar segment in July,20 and the operation was the subject of an article in the April 10, 2006, issue of The New Yorker.

Author Tim Harford has written that the pioneering tactics employed by 3rd ACR led to the first success in overcoming the Iraqi insurgency. Before 2005, tactics included staying out of dangerous urban areas except on patrols, with US forces returning to their bases each night. These patrols had little success in turning back the insurgency because local Iraqis who feared retaliation would very rarely assist in identifying them to US forces. McMaster deployed his soldiers into Tal Afar on a permanent basis, and once the local population grew confident that they weren't going to withdraw nightly, the citizens began providing information on the insurgents, enabling US forces to target and defeat them.2122 After hearing of McMaster's counterinsurgency success in Tal Afar, Vice President Dick Cheney invited McMaster to personally brief him on the situation in Iraq and give an assessment on what changes needed to be made to American strategy.23

McMaster passed command of the 3rd ACR on June 29, 2006, and joined the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, as a Senior Research Associate tasked to "conduct research to identify opportunities for improved multi-national cooperation and political-military integration in the areas of counterinsurgency, counter-terrorism, and state building", and to devise "better tactics to battle terrorism."24

From August 2007 to August 2008, McMaster was part of an "elite team of officers advising U.S. commander" General David Petraeus on counterinsurgency operations while Petraeus directed revision of the Army's Counterinsurgency Field Manual during his command of the Combined Arms Center.25 Petraeus and most of his team were stationed in Fort Leavenworth at the time but McMaster collaborated remotely, according to senior team member John Nagl.2627

McMaster as BCT guest lecturer in September 2009

Based on his date of rank as a colonel, McMaster was considered for promotion to brigadier general by annual Department of the Army selection boards in 2006 and 2007 but was not selected, despite his reputation as one of "the most celebrated soldiers of the Iraq War."28293031 Though the Army's rationale for whether a given officer is selected is not made public, McMaster's initial non-selection attracted considerable media attention.323334 In late 2007, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren requested that Petraeus return from Iraq to take charge of the promotion board as a way to ensure that the best performers in combat received every consideration for advancement, resulting in McMaster's selection along with other colonels who had been identified as innovative thinkers.3536 The demographics of this board's candidates showed that the predominant Year Group of colonels selected for promotion was 1982,37 and McMaster was the second officer of his 1984 West Point class promoted to the general officer ranks.38

McMaster as commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence in 2012

In August 2008, McMaster assumed duties as Director, Concept Development and Experimentation (later renamed Concept Development and Learning), in the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) at Fort Monroe, Virginia, part of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. In this position he was involved in preparing doctrine to guide the Army over the next 10 to 20 years. He was promoted on June 29, 2009.39 In July 2010 he was selected to be the J-5, Deputy to the Commander for Planning, at ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

McMaster was nominated for major general on January 23, 2012, and selected to be the commander of the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning.40 In February 2014, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel nominated McMaster for lieutenant general and in July 2014, McMaster pinned on his third star when he began his duties as Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and Director of TRADOC's Army Capabilities Integration Center.41

Army Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey remarked in 2011 that McMaster was "probably our best Brigadier General."42 McMaster made Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in April 2014. He was hailed as "the architect of the future U.S. Army" in the accompanying piece written by retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. "Major General Herbert Raymond McMaster might be the 21st century Army's pre-eminent warrior-thinker," Barno wrote, commenting on McMaster's "impressive command and unconventional exploits in the second Iraq war."43 Barno also wrote, "Recently tapped for his third star, H.R. is also the rarest of soldiers—one who has repeatedly bucked the system and survived to join its senior ranks."44 In 2014, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, a former Army vice chief, commented, "It is heartening to see the Army reward such an extraordinary general officer who is a thought leader and innovator while also demonstrating sheer brilliance as a wartime brigade commander."45

McMaster during the April 2017 Syrian missile strike operation

National Security Advisor

On February 20, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump nominated McMaster for National Security Advisor following the resignation of Michael T. Flynn on February 13.4647 McMaster said at the time that he intended "to remain on active duty while he serves as national security advisor."4849

Because McMaster intended to remain on active duty, his official assumption of the National Security Advisor's duties and responsibilities required a United States Senate vote; lieutenant generals and generals require Senate confirmation of their rank and assignments.50 On March 6, 2017, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 23–2 to recommend to the full Senate that McMaster be confirmed for reappointment at his lieutenant general rank during his service as the National Security Advisor.51 The committee recommendation was referred to the Senate on March 7, and the full Senate confirmed McMaster by a vote of 86–10 on March 15, 2017.52

McMaster during the MSC 2018

In early August, McMaster was targeted by what some deemed a "smear campaign" after he fired several National Security Council staff members.535455 White House officials and journalists suspected Steve Bannon of leading these attacks.5657 Attorney Mike Cernovich, radio host Alex Jones and Breitbart News were among the foremost promoters of the anti-McMaster campaign; Cernovich's website for the campaign also included a cartoon depicting McMaster, which the ADL labeled antisemitic.5859 In addition, the Center for Security Policy criticized McMaster for not being sufficiently conservative and for not supporting Trump's agenda.606162 The anti-McMaster campaign prompted dismissive responses by administration officials, and a statement from Trump affirming his confidence in McMaster.6364

In February 2018, McMaster said that it was "incontrovertible" that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. McMaster, who spoke a day after a federal grand jury indicted more than a dozen Russians in connection with the interference, was addressing an international audience at the Munich Security Conference, including several Russian officials.65

Dismissal

On March 1, 2018, The Washington Post reported that McMaster's strained relationship with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis led McMaster to helm "one of the weaker National Security Councils in recent memory." Mattis was particularly concerned that McMaster displayed a sometimes volcanic and unpredictable temper.66 McMaster reportedly complained to colleagues that "[Mattis] treats me like a three-star" rather than a coequal.67 McMaster's relationship with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly also deteriorated in the weeks leading up to his departure.68

On March 15, 2018, it was reported that Trump had decided to dismiss McMaster from his position at a later, unspecified date. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied the reports in a tweet, claiming nothing had changed at the National Security Council.69

On March 22, 2018,70 McMaster was forced out as National Security Advisor after sustaining the ire of conservatives for months and disagreeing with Trump on key foreign policy strategies, including the administration's approach to Russia, North Korea, and Iran.71 He said in a statement that he planned to retire from the military sometime in the next few months.72 According to reports, the military was resistant to promoting McMaster and granting him a follow-on assignment,73 while McMaster was not inclined to accept the positions that were offered.74 Trump announced John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as McMaster's replacement.75 McMaster's ouster closely followed the departures of several other high-ranking officials in the administration, including Trump's longtime assistant and communications director, Hope Hicks, national economic advisor Gary Cohn, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. As with Tillerson's dismissal, Trump first announced McMaster's departure from the administration via a public tweet.767778

McMaster's retirement ceremony was held on May 18, 2018.79 It took place at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall, and was presided over by General Mark A. Milley, the Army Chief of Staff.80 Among the decorations and honors McMaster received was a third award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal.81 In July 2018, HarperCollins announced that it had signed a book deal with McMaster for a memoir, Battlegrounds, to be published in 2020.82

Academic career

McMaster has accepted an appointment as a Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies effective September 1, 2018.83 He will also hold the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellowship at the Hoover Institution and will serve as a lecturer in management at the University's Graduate School of Business.84

Decorations and badges

U.S. military decorations
Army Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak leaf clusters
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with Oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal with Oak leaf cluster
Purple Heart
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with three Oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal with three Oak leaf clusters
Valorous Unit Award
U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons
National Defense Service Medal with one service star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with three service stars
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with three service stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 4
Foreign decorations
NATO Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

U.S. badges, patches and tabs
Combat Action Badge
Parachutist Badge
Ranger tab
3d Armored Cavalry Regiment distinctive unit insignia
3d Armored Cavalry Regiment Combat Service Identification Badge
10 Overseas Service Bars
U.S. orders
Order of the Spur Cavalry Hat and Spurs (Gold)

See also

References


1International Institute for Strategic Studies – H.R. McMaster. Retrieved 2007-09-02., at International Institute for Strategic Studies. LINK
2,72Cohen, Zachary et al. Trump replaces H.R. McMaster as national security adviser with John Bolton, CNN, 23 March 2018. LINK
3Lt. Gen. McMaster Retirement Ceremony, at Flickr.com, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), May 18, 2018. LINK
4,75Landler, Mark et al. McMaster to Resign as National Security Adviser, and Will Be Replaced by John Bolton, 22 March 2018. LINK
5,76John Bolton to replace H.R. McMaster as national security adviser. LINK
6,77Jaffe, Greg. Trump names former ambassador John Bolton as his new national security advisor, 22 March 2018. LINK
7Clancy, Tom. Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment, Berkley Books, New York, 1994, page 255, ISBN: 978-0425158364. LINK
8Marie C. "Mimi" (Curcio) McMaster Obituary, Legacy.com, May 12, 2013. LINK
9,10Trump appoints Philly native, Valley Forge grad as top security advisor, The Inquirer, February 21, 2017. LINK
11Spector, Ronald. Cooking Up a Quagmire, July 20, 1997. LINK
12"National Security Advisor a two-time Carolina graduate". College of Arts & Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. college.unc.edu. March 14, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
13Odierno, Raymond T.. The Chief of Staff's Professional Reading List, at cape.army.mil/, Office of the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Washington, DC, March 2, 2012, page 1. LINK
14Neller, Robert B.. Commandant's Reading List – A Complete List, at USMC Officer, Office of the Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, DC, 2017. LINK
15M1a1 Abrams Tanks in action Iraq-73 Easting. LINK
16Gal Perl Finkel, US National Security Adviser Faces Challenges at Home and Abroad, The Jerusalem Post, February 22, 2017.
17In New Cold War, Two Generals Square Off, Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2017.
18,21,26,35Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure, Little, Brown, ISBN: 978-1408701522.
19WLA: War, Literature & the Arts, Volume 11, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, 1999, page 230. LINK
20Tal Afar: Al Qaeda's Town, CBS News. LINK
22,27Lessons from war's factory floor, May 23, 2011. LINK
23In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir, Simon and Schuster, August 30, 2011, ISBN: 978-1439176238. LINK
24International Institute for Strategic Studies – H.R. McMaster. Retrieved 2007-09-02., at iiss.org. LINK
25Tisdall, Simon. Military chiefs give US six months to win Iraq war, The Guardian, February 28, 2007. LINK
28Kaplan, Fred. Challenging the Generals, August 26, 2007. LINK
29Joyner, James. H.R. McMaster Passed Over – Reverse Peter Principle?, Dulles, VA, July 25, 2007. LINK
30SWJ Editors. Next Generation of US Army COIN Leadership?, Bethesda, MD, November 17, 2007. LINK
31Packer, George. One Star for McMaster, One Cheer for the Army, New York, August 12, 2008. LINK
32Col. McMaster, CBS News. LINK
33Fred Kaplan, Slate.com, Annual General Meeting: Finally, the Army is Promoting the Right Officers, August 4, 2008
34Blake Hounshell, Foreign Policy magazine, McMaster Gets His Star, July 16, 2008
36Ann Scott Tyson, "Army's Next Crop of Generals Forged in Counterinsurgency", Washington Post, May 15, 2008
37Office of the Chief of Staff, Army General Officer Announcement, July 15, 2008, Army Competitive Category brigadier general promotion list
38Army General Officer Public Roster (By Rank), August 2, 2010, General Officer Management Office, Office of the Chief of Staff Army; Pentagon, Washington, DC
39Hoover Institution, H.R. McMaster promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army, August 15, 2009
40U.S. Army News Release, McMaster Tapped for Promotion, Command of Benning, April 4, 2012
41Amy L. Haviland, U.S. Army, McMaster to Lead Development of Future Force, July 16, 2014
42Ricks, Thomas E.. Dempsey on Two Big Lessons of Iraq: Think More and Train Leaders Better, July 27, 2011. LINK
43Gen. McMaster makes Time's '100 most influential', at Military Times, Sightline Media Group, April 27, 2014. LINK
44Barno, Dave. Major General Herbert Raymond McMaster, April 23, 2014. LINK
45Bill Gertz, Washington Free Beacon, Iconoclast Army General to Get Third Star: Army Maj. Gen. H.R. McMaster Receives Promotion, February 18, 2014
46Trump Selects Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as National Security Adviser, Fox News, February 20, 2017. LINK
47Trump Names Lt Gen HR McMaster as National Security Advisor, BBC News, February 20, 2017. LINK
48Talev, Margaret. Trump Picks Outspoken Army `Rebel' as National Security Advisor, February 20, 2017. LINK
49Diamond, Jeremy. Trump picks Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as new national security advisor. LINK
50Rogin, Ali et al. McMaster needs Senate confirmation because he's a 3-star general, ABC News, New York, February 21, 2017. LINK
51Tritten, Travis J.. Senate panel gives nod to McMaster's 3-star status, Washington, DC, March 7, 2017. LINK
52Tritten, Travis J.. Senate vote allows McMaster to retain 3 stars as Trump advisor, Washington, DC, March 15, 2017. LINK
53Smear campaign targets McMaster – CNN Video. LINK
54Sen. McCain decries criticism of McMaster as 'smear tactics', at Washington Post. LINK
55'The most well-organized campaign in the history of the alt-right' is targeting H.R. McMaster. LINK
56Board, The Editorial. McMaster and the Commander, August 8, 2017. LINK
57Trump advisors at odds over president's foreign policy. LINK
58Gray, Rosie. The War Against H.R. McMaster. LINK
59Anti-Semitism Used in Attack Against National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, at Anti-Defamation League. LINK
60Bertrand, Natasha. The knives are coming out for H.R. McMaster, Business Insider. LINK
61Davis, Julie. White House Aide Forced Out After Claim of Leftist Conspiracy, The New York Times, 11 August 2017. LINK
62Liptak, Kevin. H.R. McMaster faces attacks from conservatives, CNN, August 4, 2017. LINK
63CNN, Sophie Tatum and Kevin Liptak. Trump asserts support for McMaster, at CNN. LINK
64Russian Bots Tweeting Calls To Fire McMaster, Former FBI Agent Says, at NPR.org. LINK
65Held, Amy. Trump Chides McMaster For Saying Evidence Of Russian Interference 'Incontrovertible', Washington, DC, February 17, 2018. LINK
66Perry, Mark. McMaster’s Problem Isn’t Trump. It’s Mattis and Kelly, Washington, DC, March 7, 2018. LINK
67,73Trump and McMaster have seemed anxious to part but so far remain together, at Washington Post. LINK
68"McMaster’s Problem Isn’t Trump"
69Parker, Ashley et al. Trump decides to remove national security advisor, and others may follow, 15 March 2018. LINK
70Woody, Christopher. National security adviser H.R. McMaster is out; John Bolton set to replace him, at Business Insider, New York, March 22, 2018. LINK
71NYT, David E. Sanger and Steven Erlanger. Unswayed by Allies, Trump Is Expected to Leave Iran Deal, Diplomats Say, 7 May 2018. LINK
74Woody, Christopher. Trump reportedly wanted to get McMaster out of the White House with a promotion — instead he's leaving the military altogether, New York, March 23, 2018. LINK
78Donald J. Trump on Twitter. LINK
79,80"Lt. Gen. McMaster Retirement Ceremony"
81We were honored to provide musical support during a Department of the Army General Officer Retirement Ceremony in honor of Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster at Conmy Hall on May 18th, at Facebook.com, U.S. Army Band, May 18, 2018. LINK
82Italie, Hillel. H.R. McMaster book scheduled for 2020, The Associated Press, "HarperCollins Publishers told The Associated Press on Wednesday that McMaster’s "Battlegrounds" is scheduled for 2020. The book will cover his 34-year military career and his time in the Trump administration.", July 12, 2018. LINK
83Jarocki, Andrew. McMaster, former Trump NSC head, lands at Stanford, July 3, 2018. LINK
84Kourouniotis, Chaney. H.R. McMaster appointed the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at FSI, July 2, 2018. LINK

Further reading

  • Fred Kaplan, The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War, 2013, Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 978-1451642636

External links

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