General McMaster is very well educated and the latest in a new breed of “warrior scholars” that bring a refreshing mix of combat experience and higher education to the table…
General H. R. McMaster’s military career is remarkable, and he has a reputation as a man who will not be shy about providing his opinion to politicians. As a young captain serving in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, McMaster led Eagle Troop, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment into the Battle of 73 Easting. Heavily outnumbered by Iraqi mechanized units, McMaster’s force of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicles dominated the Iraqis in a one-sided fight that has been heavily studied within the United States Army ever since. McMaster was awarded a Silver Star for his actions that day.
Fast forward to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006. Then-Colonel McMaster was commanding the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Tal Afar in northern Iraq. Breaking with the doctrine of the time, Colonel McMaster deployed his troops into the city and had them stay there on small combat outposts instead of the larger forward operating bases outside the city. This cultivated the trust of the local populace when they realized US troops would not leave the city on a nightly basis, and led to better communication with the citizens of Tal Afar. The end result of this new counterinsurgency strategy was a vast improvement in the security situation and would ultimately lead to it being adopted by all coalition forces in Iraq in 2007.
McMaster’s rise from a young army officer through the ranks and to the head of the National Security Council has been remarkable to watch. Along with his combat experience, McMaster wrote Dereliction of Duty in 1997. His book criticized the policies of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and called out the Joint Chiefs of Staff for not confronting the two presidents with their objections to the handling of the Vietnam War. He now finds himself in a similar position to the men he wrote about during an era of extended conflict, as the United States remains engaged with radical terror after sixteen years of war.
How will General McMaster handle his new role in the Trump administration? He is the first active duty military officer to hold the position of national security adviser since Colin Powell did during the Reagan administration. He’s also well-educated, the latest in a new breed of “warrior scholars” that bring a refreshing mix of combat experience and higher education to the table. McMaster graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, has a PhD from the University of North Carolina, and has a reputation as a man unafraid to speak his mind.
The fact that General McMaster remains an active duty officer while serving in the White House makes for an interesting case. He has worn both his military uniform and civilian clothes since taking the job, and this has led to some confusion about where he fits in the chain of command. Despite the reservations that some may have over an active general holding this position, General McMaster is a highly respected commander and a brilliant military strategist who will undoubtedly contribute a tremendous amount of command presence, intellect, and solid decision-making to national security issues facing the young Trump administration.
Christopher Castellano is an OpsLens Contributor and U.S. Army Veteran. He currently serves as a firefighter in New York City.
