Stanley McChrystal | |
|---|---|
 General Stanley A. McChrystalc. 2009 | |
| Born | (1954-08-14)14 August 1954 (age 71) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1976–2010[2] |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
Stanley Allen McChrystal (born 14 August 1954) is a retiredUnited States Armygeneral best known for his command ofJoint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 during which his organization was credited with the elimination ofAbu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader ofAl-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 asDirector, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009. McChrystal received criticism for his alleged role in the cover-up of thePat 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 15 June 2009 to 23 June 2010.[7]
Former Defense SecretaryRobert Gates described McChrystal as "perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I ever met."[8] However, following unflattering remarks about Vice PresidentJoe Biden and other administration officials[9] attributed to McChrystal and his aides in aRolling Stone article,[10] McChrystal was recalled toWashington, D.C., where PresidentBarack 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 generalSir Nicholas Parker, pending the confirmation of a replacement. Obama named GeneralDavid Petraeus as McChrystal's replacement;[13][14] Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate and officially assumed command on 30 June. Days after being relieved of his duties in Afghanistan, McChrystal announced his retirement.[15] Since 2010, he has taught courses ininternational relations atYale University as a Senior Fellow of the university'sJackson Institute for Global Affairs.[16]
Born on theFort Leavenworth U.S. Army base in Kansas,[4][17] McChrystal graduated high school fromSt. John's College High School in Washington, D.C.[18] He graduated from theUnited States Military Academy in 1976 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in theUnited States Army. His initial assignment was toCompany C, 1st Battalion,504th Infantry,82nd Airborne Division,[19] serving asweapons platoon leader from November 1976 to February 1978, asrifle platoon leader from February 1978 to July 1978, and asexecutive officer from July 1978 to November 1978.[20]
In November 1978, McChrystal enrolled as a student in theSpecial Forces Officer Course at theSpecial Forces School atFort 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 theInfantry School atFort Benning, Georgia, until February 1981.[20]
In February 1981, McChrystal moved to South Korea asintelligence andoperations officer (S-2/S-3) for theUnited Nations Command Support Group—Joint Security Area. He reported toFort 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 becomingbattalion 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 theNaval War College inNewport, Rhode Island, as a student in the Command and General Staff Course in June 1989. It was during this time that McChrystal also completed aMaster of Science degree ininternational relations fromSalve 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 toSaudi Arabia for OperationsDesert Shield andDesert Storm.[20]
From April 1993 to November 1994, McChrystal commanded the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. He then commanded the2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from November 1994 to June 1996. During this time he initiated what would become a complete revamping of the existing Armyhand-to-hand combat curricula.[23] After a year as a senior service college fellow at theJohn F. Kennedy School of Government atHarvard 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 theCouncil on Foreign Relations.[20]
Promoted tobrigadier general on 1 January 2001, he served as assistant division commander (operations) of the 82nd Airborne Division from June 2000 to June 2001, including duty as Commander, Coalition/Joint Task Force Kuwait, part ofUnited States Army Central, inCamp Doha,Kuwait. From June 2001 to July 2002 he was chief of staff ofXVIII Airborne Corps, including duty as chief of staff ofCombined Joint Task Force 180, the headquarters formation contributed byXVIII Airborne Corps to direct allOperation Enduring Freedom operations inAfghanistan.[20]
At the beginning of theIraq War in March 2003, he was serving in thePentagon as a member of theJoint Staff, where he had been vice director of operations, J-3, since July 2002.[20] McChrystal was selected to deliver nationally televised Pentagon briefings on U.S. military operations in Iraq, including one in April 2003 shortly after the fall ofBaghdad in which he announced, "I would anticipate that the major combat engagements are over."[24][25]
He commanded theJoint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for five years, serving first as Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command,[19] from September 2003 to February 2006, and then as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command/Commander, Joint Special Operations Command Forward, from February 2006 to August 2008. He took command of JSOC on 6 October 2003.[26] This position he describes as commander of Task Force 714 in his autobiography, a force which has been identified as theJSOC high-value targets task force.[27]
Nominally assigned toFort Bragg, North Carolina, he spent most of his time in Afghanistan, atU.S. Central Command's forward headquarters inQatar, and in Iraq. In Iraq, he personally directed special operations,[27] where his work there is viewed as "pivotal".[28] Early successes included the capture by JSOC forces ofSaddam Hussein in December 2003. He was promoted tolieutenant general on 16 February 2006.[20][29]
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As head of whatNewsweek termed "the most secretive force in the U.S. military", McChrystal maintained a very low profile until June 2006, when his forces were responsible for the death ofAbu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader ofAl-Qaeda in Iraq.[24] After McChrystal's team successfully located Zarqawi and called in the airstrike that killed him, McChrystal accompanied his men to the bombed-out hut nearBaqubah to personally identify the body.[30]
McChrystal's Zarqawi unit,Task Force 6-26, became well known for its interrogation methods, particularly atCamp Nama, where it was accused of abusing detainees. After theAbu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal became public in April 2004, 34 members of the task force were disciplined.[31][32] McChrystal later said that, "we found that nearly every first-timejihadist claimed Abu Ghraib had first jolted him into action."[33] He also said that, "mistreating detainees would discredit us. ... The pictures [from] Abu Ghraib represented a setback for America's efforts in Iraq. Simultaneously undermining U.S. domestic confidence in the way in which America was operating, and creating or reinforcing negative perceptions worldwide of American values, it fueled violence".[34]
McChrystal was also criticized for his role in the aftermath of the 2004 death byfriendly fire of Ranger and former professional football playerPat Tillman. Within a day of Tillman's death, McChrystal was notified that Tillman was a victim offriendly fire. Shortly thereafter, McChrystal was put in charge of paperwork to award Tillman a posthumousSilver Star for valor.
On 28 April 2004, six days after Tillman's death, McChrystal approved a final draft of the Silver Star recommendation and submitted it to the acting Secretary of the Army, even though the medal recommendation deliberately omitted any mention of friendly fire, included the phrase "in the line of devastating enemy fire", and was accompanied by fabricated witness statements. On 29 April, McChrystal sent an urgent memo warning White House speechwriters not to quote the medal recommendation in any statements they wrote for PresidentGeorge W. Bush because it "might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman's death become public." McChrystal was one of the first to caution restraint in public statements, until the investigation was complete.[35] McChrystal was one of eight officers recommended for discipline by a subsequent Pentagon investigation, but the Army declined to take action against him.[4][36][37][38]
According toPulitzer Prize-winningWashington Post reporterBob Woodward, beginning in late spring 2007 JSOC and CIASpecial Activities Division teams launched a new series of highly effective covert operations that coincided with theIraq War troop surge of 2007. They did this by killing or capturing many of the keyal-Qaeda leaders in Iraq.[39][40] In aCBS60 Minutes interview, Woodward described a new special operations capability that allowed for this success, noting that it was developed by the joint teams of CIA and JSOC. Several senior U.S. officials stated that the "joint efforts of JSOC and CIA paramilitary units were the most significant contributor to the defeat of al-Qa'ida in Iraq."[39][41] JournalistPeter Bergen also credits McChrystal with transforming and modernizing JSOC into a "force of unprecedented agility and lethality," playing a key factor in the success of JSOC efforts in subsequent years and in the success of the war in Iraq.[42]
McChrystal was considered a candidate to succeed GeneralBryan D. Brown as commander ofU.S. Special Operations Command in 2007,[43] and to succeed GeneralDavid Petraeus as commanding general ofMulti-National Force – Iraq or AdmiralWilliam J. Fallon as commander ofU.S. Central Command in 2008, all four-star positions.[44][45][46] Instead, McChrystal was nominated byGeorge W. Bush to succeed Lieutenant GeneralWalter L. Sharp asdirector of the Joint Staff in February 2008, another three-star position.
Normally a routine process, McChrystal'sSenate confirmation was stalled by members of theSenate Armed Services Committee who sought more information about the alleged mistreatment of detainees by Special Operations troops under McChrystal's command in Iraq and Afghanistan.[47] After meeting with McChrystal in private, the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed his reappointment as lieutenant general in May 2008 and he became director of the Joint Staff in August 2008.
With his 10 June 2009, Senate approval to take command in Afghanistan, McChrystal was promoted togeneral.[20][29][48] Shortly after McChrystal assumed command of NATO operations,Operation Khanjar commenced, marking the largest offensive operation and the beginning of the deadliest combat month for NATO forces since 2001.[citation needed]
McChrystal submitted a 66-page report toDefense SecretaryRobert Gates calling for more troops inAfghanistan, saying "We are going to win." That became public on 20 September 2009.[49] McChrystal warned that the war in Afghanistan might be lost if more troops were not sent, but the report ends on a note of cautious optimism: "While the situation is serious, success is still achievable."[50]
In 2009, McChrystal publicly suggested between 30,000 and 40,000 more troops were needed inAfghanistan, as the lowest risk option out of a number of possible troop level changes. He was advised by White House Staff not to present troop increases to "defeat the Taliban", but to "degrade" them.[51]
Scott Ritter, former Chief UN Weapons Inspector in Iraq, stated at the time that McChrystal should be fired forinsubordination for disclosing information that he should have said only in private to the President of the United States.[52]
New York magazine refers to the leaked report as the "McChrystal risk" as it boxed Obama into a corner about boosting troop levels in Afghanistan.[53]
In an article written by freelance journalistMichael Hastings ("The Runaway General", appearing inRolling Stone magazine, July 8-22, 2010 issue),[10] McChrystal and his staff mocked civilian government officials, includingJoe Biden, national security advisorJames L. Jones, US ambassador to AfghanistanKarl W. Eikenberry, and special representative for Afghanistan and PakistanRichard Holbrooke.[54] McChrystal was not quoted as being directly critical of the president or the president's policies, but several comments from his aides in the article reflected their perception of McChrystal's disappointment with President Obama after their first two meetings.[55]
According toRolling Stone, McChrystal's staff was contacted prior to release of the article and did not deny the validity of the article,[56] although senior members of his staff dispute this, and have accused Hastings inArmy Times of exaggerating the seniority of aides quoted and breaking theoff the record trust of private conversations between him and the aides.[57]
Hastings toldNewsweek that he was quite clearly a reporter gathering material, and actually bemused at the degree to which soldiers freely spoke to him.[58] A report by the Department of Defense inspector general finds "Not all of the events at issue occurred as reported in [Hastings's] article."[59]
The statements attributed to McChrystal and members of his staff drew the attention of the White House when McChrystal called Vice President Biden to apologize.[60] McChrystal issued a written statement, saying:
I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened. Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard. I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome.[61]
Biden's call to President Obama to tell him of the apology prompted Obama to request a copy of the profile and then to summon McChrystal to attend in person the president's monthly security team meeting at the White House in lieu of attending via secure video teleconference. During a meeting with Obama on June 23, two days before the article was released to newsstands and only one day after it was released online, McChrystal tendered his resignation, which the president accepted.[11] Shortly thereafter, President Obama nominated GeneralDavid Petraeus to replace McChrystal in his role as top commander in Afghanistan.[62]
Obama's statement on the topic began as follows: "Today I accepted Gen. Stanley McChrystal's resignation as commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I did so with considerable regret, but also with certainty that it is the right thing for our mission in Afghanistan, for our military and for our country."[63]
Later that day, McChrystal released the following statement:
This morning the president accepted my resignation as Commander of U.S. and NATO Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. I strongly support the president's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people. It was out of respect for this commitment—and a desire to see the mission succeed—that I tendered my resignation. It has been my privilege and honor to lead our nation's finest.[12][64]
Shortly after his removal from command in Afghanistan, McChrystal announced that he would retire from the Army.[15] The day after the announcement, the White House announced that he would retain hisfour-star rank inretirement, although law generally requires a four-star officer to hold his rank for three years in order to retain it in retirement.[65] His retirement ceremony was held on July 23, 2010, atFort McNair in Washington D.C. During this ceremony, McChrystal was awarded theDistinguished Service Medal byArmy Chief of Staff Gen.George Casey and theDefense Distinguished Service Medal bySecretary of DefenseRobert Gates.[66][67]
Hastings and Eric Bates,executive editor ofRolling Stone, repeatedly defended the accuracy of Hastings' article. An inquiry by theDefense Department inspector general found no evidence of wrongdoing by McChrystal or his military and civilian associates.[68][69] The Pentagon report also challenged the accuracy of Hastings' article, disputing key incidents or comments reported in it.[69]
The report from the inquiry states: "In some instances, we found no witness who acknowledged making or hearing the comments as reported. In other instances, we confirmed that the general substance of an incident at issue occurred, but not in the exact context described in the article." In response,Rolling Stone stated that "the report by the Pentagon's inspector general offers no credible source—or indeed, any named source—contradicting the facts as reported in our story."[69]
After the report was made public, the White House tapped McChrystal to head a new advisory board to support military families, an initiative led byFirst LadyMichelle Obama andJill Biden,wife of the vice president. The selection of McChrystal was announced on 12 April, four days after the inspector general's report was finished.[70]
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In 2010, after leaving the Army, McChrystal joinedYale University as aJackson Institute for Global Affairs senior fellow. He teaches a course entitled "Leadership", a graduate-levelseminar 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 16 February 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 theUnited Arab Emirates government.[76] He co-founded and is a partner at McChrystal Group, anAlexandria, Virginia–basedconsulting firm.[77][78]
In 2011, McChrystal joinedSpirit of America, a501(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]
McChrystal's memoir,My Share of the Task, published by Portfolio of thePenguin Group, was released on 7 January 2013.[80] 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.[81]
He established a consultancy firm, McChrystal Group, in 2011 which uses the slogan "Bringing Lessons from the Battlefield to Boardroom".[82] It includes researchers, practitioners and former military officers.[83]
In 2015, McChrystal's second bookTeam 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 his work on the Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Middle East.[citation needed]
In January 2016, McChrystal became the chair of the Board ofService Year Alliance—an organization merged fromServiceNation, theFranklin Project at TheAspen 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.[84] 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."[85]
In 2016,FiscalNote announced that McChrystal had joined the company's board of directors.[86]
In May 2016, McChrystal was a commencement speaker atThe Citadel and received an honorary Doctor of Military Science degree.[87]
After speculation that he might be considered for RepublicanDonald Trump's running mate in the2016 presidential election, McChrystal made it known that he would "decline consideration for any role" in a Trump administration.[88] On 16 November 2016, McChrystal rejected an offer to be president-elect Trump's first choice of Secretary of Defense.[89]
In May 2020,The Washington Post reported: that McChrystal was advising Defeat Disinfo, a newpolitical action committee that supported the Democratic Party. Defeat Disinfo aimed to use technology to oppose Trump, particularly his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.[90]
McChrystal endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the2020 presidential election,[91] and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the2024 presidential election.[92]
McChrystal has a chapter giving advice inTim Ferriss' bookTools of Titans.[93] In May 2025, he released the bookOn Character: Choices That Define a Life.[94]
McChrystal is the son ofMajor GeneralHerbert J. McChrystal (1924–2013), and his wife, Mary Gardner Bright (1925–1971).[8] His grandfather was US ArmyColonelHerbert 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 retiredArmy chaplain, and is theendorsing agent for theAssemblies of God.[95] 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.
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 | 2LT | 2 June 1976 |
 | 1LT | 3 June 1978 |
 | CPT | 1 August 1980 |
 | MAJ | 1 July 1987 |
 | LTC | 1 September 1992 |
 | COL | 1 September 1996 |
 | BG | 1 January 2001 |
 | MG | 1 May 2004 |
 | LTG | 16 February 2006 |
 | GEN | 15 June 2009 |
According toCouncil on Foreign Relations:[96]
Media from CommonsNews from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander of the75th Ranger Regiment 1997–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theJoint Special Operations Command 2003–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of theInternational Security Assistance Force 2009–2010 | Succeeded by |
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