General Richard Myers
15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
Gen. Richard B. Myers was the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he served as the principal military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council. By law, he was the nation’s highest-ranking military officer. Prior to becoming Chairman, the general served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for 19 months.
General Myers joined the Air Force in 1965 through the ROTC program at Kansas State University. He entered pilot training in June 1965 at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. A command pilot, he has more than 4,100 flying hours, primarily in the F-4, F-15 and F-16, including 600 combat hours in the F-4.
The general has commanded at all levels and served in significant staff positions throughout the Air Force. His largest commands included U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan; Pacific Air Forces at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB, Colo.
