General Richard B. Myers retired as the 15^th 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 11^th 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 Qaeda’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 working to bring democracy to 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. 

General Myers is on several public and non-profit boards and currently lectures nationally on national security issues and leadership.  He is Foundation Professor of Military History and Leadership at Kansas State University and holds the Colin Powell Chair for National Security Leadership, Character and Ethics at National Defense University.    He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Mary Jo.  He has two daughters and a son and, to his great joy, a growing number of grandchildren.