Hugh Shelton | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1999 | |
| Birth name | Henry Hugh Shelton |
| Born | (1942-01-02)2 January 1942 (age 83) Tarboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1963–2001 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff United States Special Operations Command XVIII Airborne Corps 82nd Airborne Division |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War Invasion of Panama Gulf War Operation Uphold Democracy War on terror |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4) Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (4, withvalor) Purple Heart Congressional Gold Medal |
| Alma mater | North Carolina State University (BS) Auburn University, Montgomery (MS) |
Henry Hugh Shelton (born 2 January 1942)[1] is a formerUnited States Army officer who served as the 14thchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1997 to 2001.
Shelton was born inTarboro, North Carolina[2] and graduated from North Edgecombe High School in 1959.[3] Shelton attendedNorth Carolina State University,[1] and was a member ofPershing Rifles. He earned aBachelor of Science degree intextile engineering[1] in 1963[3] while earning his Army commission throughReserve Officers' Training Corps training. Shelton's further education includes aMaster of Science degree inpolitical science fromAuburn University at Montgomery[1] in 1973 as well as studies at theAir Command and Staff College from August 1972 to June 1973 and theNational War College from June 1982 to June 1983.[4][5] Shelton married Carolyn L. Johnson in 1963; the pair have three sons together.[4][5]
Shelton served two tours of duty in theVietnam War[1] with the5th Special Forces Group, and with the173rd Airborne Brigade,[6] followed by a series of command and staff assignments. Following theGulf War, Shelton commanded the82nd Airborne Division atFort Bragg in his home state ofNorth Carolina.[1] In 1993, he was given command ofXVIII Airborne Corps.[1] Shelton led the Joint Task Force responsible forOperation Uphold Democracy inHaiti in 1994.[6] In 1996, Shelton, aSpecial Forces soldier, was promoted to the rank ofgeneral and the position of Commander in Chief ofUnited States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). He was the firstGraduate of the U.S. Army Special Forces Program to command SOCOM.
Upon the retirement of John M. Shalikashvili, Shelton was appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Defense William Cohen on 1 October 1997.[7]
Shelton led the planning of theKosovo War in 1999 during his time in office. Later he coined the phrase "Dover test", testing the support for a war based on the reaction of the people after seeing American casualties returning at theDover Air Force Base.[8] During the events of11 September 2001, Shelton was flying on-boardBoeing C-135 Speckled Trout, traveling to aNATO meeting in Europe, but turned back and returned to Washington.[9][10] Upon entering the United States Airspace, the C-135 flew past the World Trade Center so Shelton was able to assess the situation following the attack.[9] Already scheduled to retire in October, Shelton spent his last weeks in office coordinating military plans to destroyal-Qaeda andTaliban forces in Afghanistan and helping to develop an interagency strategy to defeat, disrupt, and degrade terrorist activities around the world. These would form the basis ofOperation Enduring Freedom and the globalwar on terror.[10] Upon Shelton's end of term, PresidentGeorge W. Bush nominated then-Vice ChairmanAir Force GeneralRichard Myers, who was sworn in on 1 October 2001.
In 2002 Shelton founded the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Center atNorth Carolina State University. The center was created to "inspire, educate, and develop values-based leaders, both locally and globally, committed to personal integrity, professional ethics, and selfless service."
In his retirement, Shelton joined the Board of Directors ofRed Hat in April 2003, and was elected that board's chairman in 2010.[11][12] He also holds directorships atAnheuser Busch, Anteon International and Protective Products of America. At his alma mater of North Carolina State University, the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Center was founded in 2002, which grants scholarships to people who are committed to personal integrity, professional ethics, and selfless service.[13]
Shelton also served as an advisor to SenatorJohn Edwards' presidential campaign from 2003 to 2004.[14] Shelton created a minor controversy for 2004Democraticpresidential candidate, retired U.S. Army GeneralWesley Clark, a subordinate of Shelton's during the 1999Kosovo military actions, when he stated: "I will tell you the reason [Clark] came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote," casting doubt upon Clark's candidacy.[14][15]
On 1 March 2008, Shelton announced his endorsement of SenatorHillary Clinton for the2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, stating, "I've been with Senator Clinton when she has been with our military men and women. I know from those experiences that she understands the demands and sacrifice of military life. I am confident she will always put the readiness and well being of our troops first. She is ready to be Commander-in-Chief." Shelton was the second Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to endorse Clinton, the first being GeneralJohn Shalikashvili.[16]
On 12 October 2010, Shelton published his autobiography,Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior, along with coauthors Ron Levinson and Malcolm McConnell.[17] An excerpt tells the story of a high-ranking Clinton Cabinet member proposing that Shelton intentionally allow an American pilot to be killed by the Iraqis to have an excuse to retaliate and go to war.[18] The book also tells of Bill Clinton's tearful confession to Shelton;[19] a time during the Clinton administration when a close Clinton aide lost possession of thebiscuit (top secret presidential nuclear launch authorization codes);[20] details of a contentious Camp David meeting among George W. Bush and his National Security Council immediately after 9/11, where internal battle lines were drawn.[21] His book also says there were multiple attempts to kill Osama bin Laden that were shot down byMadeleine Albright.
On 27 August 2010, a statue of Shelton was unveiled and dedicated at the Airborne Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, NC. The statue was commissioned and donated byH. Ross Perot.[22]
On 24 October 2010, Shelton appeared onThis Week with Christiane Amanpour, on 6 December 2010, onThe Daily Show withJon Stewart, and on 30 December 2010, onThe Charlie Rose Show on PBS and Bloomberg TV, to promote the publication of his memoir.[23]
On 20 October 2012, Shelton was honored at the 6th Annual Brian & Kendra's Bluegrass Party in Speed, North Carolina. He was presented with a Distinguished Achievements plaque and a roadside display at the entrance of Speed, honoring his hometown and acknowledging his achievements.
Shelton and his wife, Carolyn, established the Hugh and Carolyn Shelton Military Neurotrauma Foundation in 2005 to fund research intotraumatic brain injury among military personnel.[24]
| Rank | Date |
|---|---|
%2c_rotated.svg) Second lieutenant | 19 September 1964* |
 First lieutenant | 7 January 1965 |
 Captain | 19 March 1967 |
 Major | 7 February 1974 |
.svg) Lieutenant colonel | 6 November 1978 |
 Colonel | 1 October 1983 |
 Brigadier general | 1 August 1988 |
 Major general | 1 October 1991 |
 Lieutenant general | 7 June 1993 |
.svg) General | 1 March 1996 |
* - Date of rank adjusted for time not spent on active duty. Receipt of officer's commission in June 1963.[25]
Shelton's decorations and medals include:
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In 1998, Shelton received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council membersGeneral Colin L. Powell andGeneral John M. Shalikashvili.[26][27]
In 2002, Shelton received theCongressional Gold Medal. The citation says, "Throughout his 38 years of service to his country, his ascent through the ranks of the Army, two tours in Vietnam and duty in Operation Desert Storm, Gen. Shelton has carried with him the North Carolina values of service, sacrifice, love of family, faith in God and devotion to country."[28]
In 2011, The Command and General Staff College Foundation presented retired General Hugh Shelton with the Foundation's 2011 Distinguished Leadership Award.[29]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)At the 1998 Achievement Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, four Academy members and Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: General John M. Shalikashvili, USA (the Academy's Class of 1994), General David C. Jones, USAF (Class of 1979), General Henry (Hugh) Shelton, USA (Class of 1998) and General Colin L. Powell, USA (Class of 1988).
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| Preceded by | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1997–2001 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States as Former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Succeeded byas Former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
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