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Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal

Leader, Joining Forces (since April 2011)

(U.S. military)

Why He Matters

The outspoken general's military career ended not on the battlefield in Afghanistan but on the political one in Washington after President Obama replaced McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus in June 2010. McChrystal was allowed to retire as a four-star general.

The general who championed the counterinsurgency doctrine that worked in Iraq received the very rare rebuke of being fired during wartime (the same fate befell his predecessor, Gen. David McKiernan) when President Obama asked him to step aside after he gave an unwise interview to Rolling Stone magazine that badmouthed civilian national-security aides.

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McChrystal was instead undone by his own loose lips and those of his senior aides, who appeared in an unflattering Rolling Stone profile mocking top diplomatic aides to Obama. McChrystal was immediately summoned to Washington, where his resignation was accepted.

Just a year before, Obama elevated McChrystal in order to prosecute a more aggressive Afghanistan strategy. The former head of the Pentagon's secretive U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), McChrystal was credited with the June 2006 apprehension (and death) of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

McChrystal had also been involved in controversy previously; he was accused of helping to cover up the 2004 friendly-fire killing in Afghanistan of NFL-player and then- Army Ranger Cpl. Pat Tillman.

As Obama's Afghan general, McChrystal pushed for a troop increase or warned of dire consequences, submitting a 66-page memo in August 2009to Defense Secretary Robert Gates contending that a surge over the ensuing year was necessary or the mission "will likely result in failure."

In December 2009, the general got most of what he wanted when Obama ordered 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, while simultaneously stating that they start coming home in mid-2011.

In a surprise return to the Obama administration, McChrystal was invited in April 2011 to lead a new, high-profile program with First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden called Joining Forces, aimed at encouraging "companies, schools, philanthropic, religious groups and local communities to recognize the unusual stress that is endured by families of active-duty personnel, reservists and veterans."

In Their Own Words

"This is a struggle for the support of the Afghan people. Our willingness to operate in ways that minimize casualties or damage — even when doing so makes our task more difficult — is essential to our credibility," McChrystal said. "I cannot overstate my commitment to the importance of this concept."

More on: Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal

At a Glance
Path to Power
The Issues
The Network
Campaign Contributions
Additional Resources

Background

At a Glance

Career History: Former Commander, NATO International Security Assistance Force (June 2009-June 2010); Director, Joint Staff (August 2008-Present); Commander, Joint Special Operations Command /Joint Special Operations Command Forward (September 2003-August 2008); Vice Director for Operations, Joint Staff (July 2002-September 2003); Army Special Operations Action Officer with Joint Special Operations Command, including deployment to Operation Desert Storm (June 1990-April 1993);
Birthday: Aug. 14, 1954
Alma Mater: U.S. Military Academy (1976); Completed Special Forces School (April 1979); Studies at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Commander of 75th Ranger Regiment, and Studies at the Council of Foreign Relations (June 1996-June 2000)
Spouse: Annie

Office: (703) 697-5131
Email : N/A
Website

Path to Power

The Afghanistan commander was born into a military family on Aug. 14, 1954. His father was a two-star general and served in Germany during the post-World War II occupation, followed by a stint at the Pentagon.

Herbert McChrystal's service became a family tradition. All six of his children, including Stanley, would join the military or marry into it. "They're all pretty intense," Judy McChrystal, one of Stanley's sisters-in-law told Elisabeth Bumiller and Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times.Stanley attended West Point, graduating in 1976. He then started his Army career in typical fashion, with various infantry regiments.

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U.S. Army Special Forces

In 1978, McChrystal's career took a crucial turn when he headed to Ft. Bragg, N.C., for the officer course at U.S. Special Forces School. About six years later, he was named commander of Detachment A, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

The early 1980s put McChrystal in several intelligence and training posts in Korea and Ft. Benning, Ga. The late 1980s saw McChrystal in a number of posts in the Army's elite Ranger community. He also completed the command and staff vourse at the Naval War College.

The 1990s solidified McChrystal as an operational commander, as he presided over a number of Ranger units. He also deployed to the Iraqi theater during Operation Desert Storm. The elite operator also excelled in academics, completing studies in the late 1990s at both the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Council of Foreign Relations.

In June 2001, McChrystal served as chief of staff to both the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps and the service's Ft. Bragg, N.C. operations, which included a stint as chief of staff of the Combined Joint Task Force 180 during the first stages of fighting in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. From there, McChrystal did his first of two Pentagon tours, as vice director of operations on the Joint Staff.

JSOC

From September 2003 through August 2008, McChrystal served as commander of the super-secret Joint Special Operations Command/Joint Special Operations Command Forward (JSOC). McChrystal led the charge to nab several high-profile U.S. foes in Iraq, including Saddam Hussein in December 2003 and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al- Qaeda in Iraq, in June 2006.

But his elite troops were criticized in various media reports for employing harsh interrogation tactics as part of Task Force 6-26, a group of top secret commandos who questioned terrorist suspects at Camp Nama located at Baghdad International Airport. There are allegations that the unit's commanders didn't do enough to stop and punish abusive questioning techniques.

The Washington Post's Bob Woodward reported that JSOC was partially responsible for the reduction of violence in Iraq around the time of the 2007 troop surge. Woodward pointed to top-secret JSOC operations to "locate, target and kill" key Sunni, Shiite and al-Qaeda players. "JSOC is awesome," President George W. Bush said when asked about its impact on the Iraq theater.

In May 2009, Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen chose McChrystal to replace former Gen. David McKiernan as the top commander in the Afghan theater.

Rolling Stone Story

But McChrystal only hung onto his new job for a year after a sensational profile appeared in Rolling Stone magazine, leading to his almost instant ouster. In the June 2010 article (aptly titled "The Runaway General"), McChrystal and his top aides openly disparaged the Obama administration's entire civilian team, including Vice President Joe Biden, a frequent critic of McChrystal's Afghan strategy ("Biden ...did you say: Bite Me?" asks one top staffer in the story), Afpak Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke, Afghanistan Amb. Karl Eikenberry and National Security Adviser James Jones (described by one aide as a "clown").

McChrystal's team even disparaged the president, telling the reporter that their boss was "disappointed" when he first met Obama because of his lack of preparation.

When the story was released, Obama immediately summoned McChrystal to Washington and accepted his resignation. "As difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe it is the right decision for national security," Obama said at a press conference. "I welcome debate among my team," he said, "but I won't tolerate division."

McChrystal was replaced by Centcom Commander and well-known Washington player Gen. David Petraeus.

The Issues

When he was selected to run the Afghan war in June 2009, McChrystal was expected to turn it around. The general argued that his top priority was securing the safety of civilians, thus isolating the Taliban. "Although I expect stiff fighting ahead, the measure of effectiveness will not be enemy killed. It will be the number of Afghans shielded from violence," he said, pointing to the need for rapid growth in the Afghan police and Army.

In August 2009, McChrystal concluded that the situation in Afghanistan required a new approach. Success, he said, depends on the U.S. becoming more involved in the country. In the next several years, McChrystal plannned to expand Afghan security forces and accelerate their training and unify the effort of American allies like Britain, Canada, Germany and France.

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He also called for an end to air strikes except under the most dire circumstances. In March 2010, McChrystal brought U.S. special forces in Afghanistan under his control because of excessive civilian casualties.

"This is a struggle for the support of the Afghan people. Our willingness to operate in ways that minimize casualties or damage - even when doing so makes our task more difficult - is essential to our credibility," McChrystal said. "I cannot overstate my commitment to the importance of this concept."

Troop Surge

In a confidential 66-page memosent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in August 2009, McChrystal warned of "failure" if U.S. forces did not significantly increase their presence in the Afghan theater over the next year.

Much of McChrystal's view was vindicated when President Obama announced in December 2009 that he would send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, though he conditioned the increase on those troops beginning to come home by mid-2011.

McChrystal's strategy was predicated on the idea that the U.S. needed to wage an intensive ground war. "The insurgency has to have access to the people ... so we literally want to go in there and squat among the people," he said. "There will be a lot of fighting ... if we do this right, the insurgents will have to fight us. They will have no choice."

McChrystal also believes that his effort must show results by the end of 2010. "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible," McChrystal said.

McChrystal's memo described a robust Taliban insurgency, which is turning to jails for recruits, and an Afghan government crippled by corruption. McChrystal argues the increase in U.S. troops would be used to protect Afghan civilians rather than killing insurgents.

"Pre-occupied with protection of our own forces, we have operated in a manner that distances us -- physically and psychologically -- from the people we seek to protect. . . . The insurgents cannot defeat us militarily; but we can defeat ourselves," he said.

Pat Tillman Death

McChrystal played a role in the controversial aftermath of the much-publicized death of former NFL player and Cpl. Pat Tillman in Afghanistan on April 24, 2004. Tillman made headlines when he forfeited a multimillion-dollar football contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army after Sept. 11. His friendly-fire death was initially covered up.

Tillman's family alleges that McChrystal, who was then head of the JSOC, helped cover up the manner of Tillman's death. Following McChrystal's nomination, it didn't take long for reporters to find Tillman's father. The Associated Press wrote two days after Gates' announcement: "In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pat Tillman Sr. accused Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal of covering up the circumstances of the 2004 slaying. 'I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation,' Pat Tillman Sr. said. Separately, Mary Tillman called it 'imperative' that McChrystal's record be carefully considered before he is confirmed."

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told the AP, "'We feel terrible for what the Tillman family went through, but this matter has been investigated thoroughly by the Pentagon, by the Congress, by outside experts, and all of them have come to the same conclusion: that there was no wrongdoing by Gen. McChrystal.'"

"P-4" Memo

McChrystal did send the controversial "P-4" memo to U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid, and others, warning the commanders that an Army investigation might well conclude that Tillman was killed by friendly fire. McChrystal was concerned that the president and/or the secretary of the Army might misspeak about Tillman's cause of death when he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star citation.

"I felt that it was essential that you received this information as soon as we detected it in order to preclude any unknowing statements by our country's leaders which might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman's death become public," McChrystal wrote on April 29, 2004, to his superiors

The Network

McChrystal landed the top military post in Afghanistan largely because of his working relationship with arguably the U.S. military's most influential uniformed officials, Mullen and U.S. Central Command Chief Gen. David Petraeus .

It was Mullen who installed McChrystal in the powerful Joint Staff director post in August 2008. And when Mullen decided the Joint Staff should conduct a review of the Pentagon's Afghanistan strategies a few months later, Mullen entrusted McChrystal to run it. "I've been privileged to work with him over the better part of the last year and seen the broadness and the depth that go far beyond just high-end special-operations skills," Mullen said in May 2009. "And I'm extremely confident that he will be able to carry out this mission in its fullness to include, obviously, those [special operations] skills, but others as well."

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Campaign Contributions

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, McChrystal made no political donations between 1990 and 2008.

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Additional Resources