Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley Allen McChrystal (born August 14, 1954) is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 during which his organization was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. His final assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A).[3] He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009. McChrystal received criticism for his alleged role in the cover-up of the Pat Tillman friendly fire incident.[4] McChrystal was reportedly known[5] for saying what other military leaders were thinking but were afraid to say; this was one of the reasons cited for his appointment to lead all forces in Afghanistan.[6] He held the post from June 15, 2009, to June 23, 2010.[7]
Stanley McChrystal
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates described McChrystal as "perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I ever met."[8] However, following unflattering remarks about Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials[9] attributed to McChrystal and his aides in a Rolling Stone article,[10] McChrystal was recalled to Washington, D.C., where President Barack Obama accepted his resignation as commander in Afghanistan.[11][12][13]
His command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan was assumed by the deputy commander, British Army General Sir Nicholas Parker, pending the confirmation of a replacement. Obama named General David Petraeus as McChrystal's replacement;[13][14] Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate and officially assumed command on June 30. Days after being relieved of his duties in Afghanistan, McChrystal announced his retirement.[15] Since 2010, he has taught courses in international relations at Yale University as a Senior Fellow of the university's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs.[16]
Early career[edit]
Born on August 14, 1954, on the Fort Leavenworth U.S. Army base in Kansas,[4][17] McChrystal graduated high school from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C.[18] He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1976 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army. His initial assignment was to Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division,[19] serving as weapons platoon leader from November 1976 to February 1978, as rifle platoon leader from February 1978 to July 1978, and as executive officer from July 1978 to November 1978.[20]
In November 1978, McChrystal enrolled as a student in the Special Forces Officer Course at the Special Forces School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Upon completing the course in April 1979, he remained at Fort Bragg as commander of Operational Detachment A-714 (an "A-team") in Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).[21] This was not the last time that '714' would be associated with McChrystal. In June 1980, he attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, until February 1981.[20]
In February 1981, McChrystal moved to South Korea as intelligence and operations officer (S-2/S-3) for the United Nations Command Support Group—Joint Security Area. He reported to Fort Stewart, Georgia, in March 1982 to serve as training officer in the Directorate of Plans and Training, A Company, Headquarters Command. He moved to 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), in November 1982, where he commanded A Company before becoming battalion operations officer (S-3) in September 1984.[20]
McChrystal moved to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, as battalion liaison officer in September 1985, became commander of A Company in January 1986, served again as battalion liaison officer in May 1987, and finally became battalion operations officer (S-3) in April 1988, before reporting to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, as a student in the Command and General Staff Course in June 1989. It was during this time that McChrystal also completed a Master of Science degree in international relations from Salve Regina University.[22] After completing the course in June 1990, he was assigned as Army Special Operations action officer, J-3, Joint Special Operations Command until April 1993, in which capacity he deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.[20]
From April 1993 to November 1994, McChrystal commanded the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. He then commanded the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from November 1994 to June 1996. During this time he initiated what would become a complete revamping of the existing Army hand-to-hand combat curricula.[23] After a year as a senior service college fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, he moved up to command the entire 75th Ranger Regiment from June 1997 to August 1999, then spent another year as a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.[20]
Post-military career[edit]
In 2010, after leaving the Army, McChrystal joined Yale University as a Jackson Institute for Global Affairs senior fellow. He teaches a course entitled "Leadership", a graduate-level seminar with some spots reserved for undergraduates. The course received 250 applications for 20 spots in 2011 and was taught for a third time in 2013.[71][72][73]
In November 2010, JetBlue Airways announced that McChrystal would join its board of directors.[74] On February 16, 2011, Navistar International announced that McChrystal would join its board of directors.[75]
McChrystal is chairman of the Board of Siemens Government Technologies, and is on the strategic advisory board of Knowledge International, a licensed arms dealer whose parent company is EAI, a business "very close" to the United Arab Emirates government.[76] He co-founded and is a partner at McChrystal Group, an Alexandria, Virginia-based consulting firm.[77][78] His philosophy of leadership and building stronger organizations is quoted in the bestselling book by Daniel Levitin The Organized Mind.
In 2011, McChrystal joined Spirit of America, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the safety and success of Americans serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help, as an Advisory Board Member.[79]
In 2011, McChrystal advocated instituting a national service program in the United States. He stated, "'Service member' should not apply only to those in uniform, but to us all ... America is falling short in endeavors that occur far away from any battlefield: education, science, politics, the environment, and cultivating leadership, among others. Without a sustained focus on these foundations of our society, America's long-term security and prosperity are at risk."[80][81]
McChrystal's memoir, My Share of the Task, published by Portfolio of the Penguin Group, was released on January 7, 2013.[82] The autobiography had been scheduled to be released in November 2012, but was delayed due to security clearance approvals required from the Department of Defense. Portfolio publishers stated, "We have decided to delay the publication date of General McChrystal's book, My Share of the Task, as the book continues to undergo a security review by the Department of Defense ... General McChrystal has spent 22 months working closely with military officials to make sure he follows all the rules for writing about the armed forces, including special operations."[83]
On January 8, 2013, McChrystal appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe program, in which he endorsed stronger U.S. gun control laws, saying that assault weapons were for the battlefield, not schools or streets.[84]
He established a consultancy firm, McChrystal Group, in 2011 which uses the slogan "Bringing Lessons from the Battlefield to Boardroom".[85] It includes researchers, practitioners and former military officers.[86]
In 2014, McChrystal endorsed Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democratic congressional hopeful, attempting to unseat Representative John F. Tierney in the Democratic primary. Having never before made an endorsement, McChrystal said he endorsed Moulton, a Marine veteran, because the United States Congress could benefit from a man of his character.[87]
In 2015, McChrystal's second book "Team of Teams" was released and aimed at business organizations and their leaders. With his co-authors, Tantum Collins, David Silverman and Chris Fussell, McChrystal describes how he and his staff remade the Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Middle East to fight a new kind of decentralized, tech-savvy enemy.
In the fall of 2014 McChrystal's townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia was the address Michael Flynn used to register his consulting and intelligence business, the Flynn Intel Group.[88]
In January 2016, McChrystal became the chair of the Board of Service Year Alliance—an organization merged from ServiceNation, the Franklin Project at The Aspen Institute, and the Service Year Exchange. Service Year Alliance aims to make a year of full-time service—a service year—a common expectation and opportunity for young Americans of all backgrounds.[89] McChrystal called on the 2016 presidential candidates to embrace practical solutions to restore social trust in the United States "such as engaging young Americans in a year or more of national service." He has also said, "A service year that teaches young Americans the habits of citizenship and the power of working in teams to build trust is one of the most powerful ways this generation can help restore political and civic responsibility—and in the process help to heal a wounded nation."[90]
In 2016, FiscalNote announced that McChrystal had joined the company's board of directors.[91]
In May 2016, McChrystal was a commencement speaker at The Citadel and received an honorary Doctor of Military Science degree.[92]
After speculation that he might be considered for Republican Donald Trump's running mate in the 2016 presidential election, McChrystal made it known that he would "decline consideration for any role" in a Trump administration.[93] On November 16, 2016, McChrystal rejected the offer to be president-elect Trump's first choice of Secretary of Defense saying, 'I've been watching the campaign and I don't think I'd be a good fit for the ...team. I don't think I would be happy. Also, I'm not sure you'd be happy...'[94]
In May 2020, The Washington Post reported: "A new Democratic-aligned political action committee advised by retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal ... is planning to deploy technology ... to combat online efforts to promote President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The group, Defeat Disinfo, will ... map discussion of the president's claims on social media. It will seek to intervene ... through a network of more than 3.4 million influencers ... paying users with large followings to take sides against the president."[95]
On October 1, 2020, on the Morning Joe program, McChrystal endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president in that year's election. Despite the two's philosophical differences and the fallout from the 2010 Rolling Stone article, McChrystal explained Biden and Obama openly listened to his comments during his service, and that disagreements were paramount in a functioning democracy. McChrystal commented, "You have to believe your commander in chief, at the end of the day, is someone you can trust, and I can trust Joe Biden."[96]
McChrystal has a chapter giving advice in Tim Ferriss' book Tools of Titans.
Personal life[edit]
McChrystal is the son of Major General Herbert J. McChrystal (1924–2013), and his wife, Mary Gardner Bright (1925–1971).[8] His grandfather was US Army Colonel Herbert J. McChrystal Sr. (1895–1954). He is the fourth child in a family of five boys and one girl, all of whom would serve in the military or became military spouses. His older brother, Colonel Scott McChrystal, is a retired Army chaplain, and is the endorsing agent for the Assemblies of God.[97] He is a distant relative of Corporal Charles Edward McChrystal (1922–1944), US Army Corporal and Purple Heart recipient, who died in France during World War II.
McChrystal married Annie Corcoran, also from a military family, in 1977. The couple have one son.[7][10] McChrystal is reported to run 7 to 8 miles (11 to 13 km) daily, eat one meal per day, and sleep four hours a night.[10][98]