H. R. McMaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
H. R. McMaster
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| 25th United States National Security Advisor | |
| In office February 20, 2017 – April 9, 2018 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | K. T. McFarland Dina Powell Ricky Waddell |
| Preceded by | Michael Flynn |
| Succeeded by | John Bolton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Herbert Raymond McMaster
July 24, 1962 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Kathleen Trotter
(m. 1985) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (MA, PhD) |
| Nickname | "The Iconoclast General" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1984–2018 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Eagle Troop, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment Concept Development and Experimentation Directorate, Army Capabilities Integration Center Joint Anti-Corruption Task Force (Shafafiyat), International Security Assistance Force Maneuver Center of Excellence |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Silver Star Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star (2) Purple Heart Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2) Army Meritorious Service Medal (5) Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal (4) Army Achievement Medal (4) |
Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general. He served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is well-known for his important roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
McMaster was born in Philadelphia. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1984. He later earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996. His Ph.D. paper was about American strategy and military leaders during the Vietnam War. This paper became the basis for his book, Dereliction of Duty. This book became a bestseller and is widely read in the U.S. military. During the Gulf War, then-Captain McMaster led Eagle Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, in the Battle of 73 Easting.
After the Gulf War, McMaster taught military history at the United States Military Academy. He also commanded the 1st Squadron 4th Cavalry in Germany. In 2004, he took command of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. He fought the Iraqi insurgency in South Baghdad and Tal Afar from 2005 to 2006. Later, he became a top advisor on counterinsurgency to General David Petraeus in Baghdad. In 2017, McMaster became President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor. He retired from the Army in May 2018.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Herbert Raymond McMaster was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 24, 1962. His father, Herbert McMaster Sr., was a Korean War veteran. He retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel. His mother, Marie C. McMaster, was a school teacher. He has a younger sister named Letitia.
McMaster attended Norwood Fontbonne Academy and then Valley Forge Military Academy. He graduated from Valley Forge in 1980. In 1984, he earned a commission as a second lieutenant. This happened after he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Becoming a Leader
McMaster continued his education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). He earned a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in American history. His Ph.D. paper criticized American strategy in the Vietnam War. This paper was expanded into his book, Dereliction of Duty (1997).
The book looked at the military's role in the Vietnam War. It criticized high-ranking officers for not challenging Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and President Lyndon B. Johnson. McMaster argued they failed to provide a good plan to defeat the Viet Cong or the North Vietnamese Army. The book also explained why military actions meant to show "resolve" often failed. This was because their goals were unclear and confusing. Dereliction of Duty became very popular in the Pentagon and was added to military reading lists.
Military Career Highlights
McMaster's first assignment was with the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood. He held various leadership roles there. In 1989, he joined the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. He served with them until 1992, including during Operation Desert Storm.
Gulf War Hero
During the Gulf War in 1991, McMaster was a captain. He commanded Eagle Troop of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. They fought in the Battle of 73 Easting. In this battle, his nine tanks faced many more Iraqi Republican Guard tanks. Even though they were outnumbered, McMaster's troop destroyed 28 Iraqi tanks in just 23 minutes without losing any of their own.
McMaster received the Silver Star for his bravery. This famous battle is in many books about Operation Desert Storm. It is also used in U.S. Army training exercises. Tom Clancy's 1994 book Armored Cav also discussed it.
After the Gulf War, McMaster taught military history at West Point from 1994 to 1996. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1999.
Fighting Insurgency in Iraq
From 1999 to 2002, McMaster commanded 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment. He then held several staff positions at U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). These roles included planning and operations in Iraq.
In 2004, he was given command of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (3rd ACR). Soon after, the regiment went to Iraq for its second tour. Their mission was to secure the city of Tal Afar. This mission ended in September with Operation Restoring Rights. They defeated the insurgent groups in the city.
President George W. Bush praised this success. The PBS show Frontline and CBS's 60 Minutes featured McMaster. The operation was also covered in The New Yorker.
Author Tim Harford wrote that the new tactics used by 3rd ACR helped defeat the Iraqi insurgency. Before 2005, U.S. forces avoided dangerous city areas. They would return to their bases each night. This made it hard to get help from local Iraqis. McMaster had his soldiers stay in Tal Afar permanently. Once people felt safe, they gave information about insurgents. This helped U.S. forces find and defeat them.
Leading and Innovating
From 2007 to 2008, McMaster was part of a special team. They advised General David Petraeus on counterinsurgency operations. Petraeus was revising the Army's Counterinsurgency Field Manual.
In August 2008, McMaster became Director of Concept Development and Experimentation. This was at the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC). He was involved in creating new plans for the Army for the next 10 to 20 years. He was promoted to brigadier general on June 29, 2009. In July 2010, he was chosen to be the Deputy Commander for Planning at ISAF Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.
McMaster was nominated for major general in January 2012. He was selected to command the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning. In February 2014, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel nominated McMaster for lieutenant general.
In July 2014, McMaster became Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). He also became Director of TRADOC's ARCIC. He held this position for three years before moving into a political role.
General Martin Dempsey, the Army Chief of Staff, called McMaster "probably our best Brigadier General" in 2011. Time magazine included McMaster on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in April 2014. He was called "the architect of the future U.S. Army."
Serving as National Security Advisor
On February 20, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated McMaster to be his National Security Advisor. This happened after Michael Flynn resigned. Trump asked McMaster to stay on active duty in the military while serving in this role.
Because McMaster remained on active duty, the United States Senate had to approve his new assignment. On March 6, 2017, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to recommend McMaster. The full Senate confirmed him by a vote of 86–10 on March 15, 2017.
Important Decisions and Challenges
In early August 2017, McMaster faced a "smear campaign." This happened after he fired several National Security Council staff members. Some suspected Steve Bannon of leading these attacks. Certain media outlets promoted the anti-McMaster campaign. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called one cartoon used in the campaign antisemitic. The Center for Security Policy also criticized McMaster. They said he was not conservative enough and did not support Trump's plans. Russian intelligence services also used internet bots and trolls to campaign against McMaster. Despite this, President Trump stated his confidence in McMaster.
In February 2018, McMaster stated that it was "incontrovertible" that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. He spoke about this at the Munich Security Conference. This was a day after a federal grand jury charged several Russians for their involvement in the interference.
Dismissal and Retirement
On March 15, 2018, reports suggested that Trump had decided to remove McMaster from his position. However, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied these reports.
On March 22, 2018, McMaster resigned as National Security Advisor. He announced his plan to retire from the military in the next few months. Trump announced John Bolton as McMaster's replacement. McMaster's departure followed other high-ranking officials leaving the administration. Trump announced McMaster's departure on Twitter, thanking him and calling him a friend.
McMaster's retirement ceremony was held on May 18, 2018. It took place at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall. General Mark A. Milley, the Army Chief of Staff, led the ceremony. McMaster received his third Army Distinguished Service Medal among other honors.
After His Military Service
In September 2018, McMaster began working at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. He was also appointed to the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellowship at Stanford's Hoover Institution. He also teaches strategy at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Sharing His Knowledge
In 2019, McMaster joined the Advisory Board of Spirit of America. This organization supports U.S. military personnel. In 2020, he became a board member of Zoom Video Communications. He also became an advisor to Mischler Financial Group Inc. He is the Chairman of Ergo's Flashpoints Forum, a consulting firm. In 2021, McMaster joined the National Security Advisory Board of Shield Capital. He also joined the advisory board of the geospatial-intelligence company Edgybees. In January 2022, he joined the advisory board of Strider Technologies. This firm focuses on economic risks related to competition with China.
In 2021, McMaster was appointed Distinguished University Fellow at Arizona State University. He shares his knowledge on national security and defense. He also mentors students and hosts events about these topics.
In September 2021, President Joe Biden removed McMaster from the United States Military Academy's Board of Visitors. This was part of a larger removal of Trump appointees from military service boards.
Books
McMaster has written several books. His memoir about working in the Trump White House, At War with Ourselves – My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House, was published in August 2024. In this book, he describes Trump as "unfit for office." He also says Trump was easily influenced by foreign leaders like China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
His second New York Times bestselling book, Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World, was published in September 2020. This book has seven parts, each about a different area of foreign policy. It includes details about his own life. The book covers topics like Russia, China, South Asia, the Middle East, Iran, and North Korea. The last part shares his ideas for U.S. foreign policy.
Reviews for Battlegrounds were positive. Cliff May, founder of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, praised McMaster's "thoughtful, substantive, and intellectual approach." Steve Cohen, an attorney, called it "a sober, thoughtful, intelligent volume."
McMaster also hosts a video and podcast series called International Perspectives on Crucial Challenges to Security and Prosperity.
Images for kids
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President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster have lunch with service members on July 18, 2017.
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McMaster as BCT guest lecturer in September 2009
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McMaster as commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence in 2012
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McMaster during the April 2017 Syrian missile strike operation
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McMaster during the 2018 Munich Security Conference
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