Richard Bowman Myers (born 1 March 1942) is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In this capacity, he served as the principal military advisor to the president, the secretary of defense, and the National Security Council during the earliest stages of the War on Terror, including planning and execution of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[3] He was succeeded by President Richard Linton, the former dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University on 14 February 2022.

He graduated from Kansas State University (KSU) with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1965 where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

[5] Myers has attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; and the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

In addition, he acted for the chairman in all aspects of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System including participation in the Defense Resources Board.

[7] A few minutes later Myers was informed by his military aide Captain Chris Donahue about the hijacked plane that just hit the second tower of the World Trade Center.

Later on General Ralph Eberhart, the Commander-in-Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, managed to contact Myers and inform him about the recent hijacking situation.

During the crisis, Myers became the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, since General Hugh Shelton was en route to Europe for a NATO Summit.

Myers took command as the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for half of the day during the attacks on 11 September, until General Shelton arrived back in Washington after he aborted his flight to Europe at 5:40 p.m. local time.

As a result of Operation Enduring Freedom, the political regime in Afghanistan was toppled and a new constitution was ratified in January 2004, which provided for direct presidential elections on 9 October 2004.

Together with CENTCOM commander General Tommy Franks, Myers coordinated the plan for the Iraqi invasion and the reconstruction of the country, and also established a combined joint task force in order to focus on post-conflict issues in Iraq.

[7] Operation Iraqi Freedom was initiated on 20 March 2003, which was preceded by an airstrike on Saddam Hussein's Palace and followed by the Fall of Baghdad in April 2003.

The United States deployed Marines to Haiti as part of the multinational Operation Secure Tomorrow from February to July 2004.

Together with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Myers conducted weekly press briefings at The Pentagon on the War on Terror.

[7][10] It was also to support local, state and federal authorities in order to assist the newly created Department of Homeland Security, especially in responding to national emergencies.

[10] Like his predecessors, Myers also continued to promote a joint culture among the nation's military services in order to avoid interservice rivalry.

As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Myers played a central role in our Nation's defense while devoting himself to the well-being of the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.

The United States honors General Richard Myers for his dedication to duty and country and for his contributions to the freedom and security of our Nation.

[20] He released the following statement as part of his announced retirement, "Mary Jo and I truly loved our time at K-State and working with students, faculty and staff.