John M. Riggs

John M. Riggs (born December 2, 1946)[2] is a retired United States Army general. He was retired in 2005. He had attained the rank of lieutenant general, but was retired with the loss of one star, at the rank of major general. According to the army, this was because of misuse of contractors, but some of Riggs' supporters argued that the retirement and demotion was a result of his contradiction of the United States government stance on troop strength needed to support the actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.[3]

John M. Riggs
Official portrait
Birth nameJohnny M. Riggs[1]
Born (1946-12-02) December 2, 1946
Kennett, Missouri
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1965–2005
RankLieutenant General
(retired as a major general)
Commands heldFirst United States Army
7th Infantry Division
17th Aviation Brigade
19th Aviation Battalion
Battles/warsVietnam War
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (5)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal

Education

Born in Kennett, Missouri,[4] Riggs is a 1964 graduate of Caruthersville High School in Caruthersville, Missouri.[5] Riggs earned Bachelor of Arts in political science from Tarkio College[6] and a Master of Arts in personnel management and administration from Central Michigan University.[4] In addition, Riggs completed a National Security Fellowship at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.[7]

Military career

He enlisted in the United States Army in 1965.[3] Commissioned a second lieutenant in 1969, he graduated from the Infantry Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He served a combat tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Riggs commanded at company, battalion, brigade, division, and army levels, serving in Vietnam, Germany, Korea, Belgium and numerous assignments throughout the United States. He commanded the 19th Aviation Battalion and the 17th Aviation Brigade in Korea.[4] Later assignments were as Assistant Division Commander for the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany; Deputy Commanding General United States Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Alabama; Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff Operations and Plans, Washington, DC; and Commanding General 7th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Retirement

In 2006, Riggs, along with a number of other retired senior United States military officials—Lieutenant General Gregory S. Newbold (USMC), Major General Paul Eaton (Army), and General Anthony Zinni (USMC)—called for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld over his handling of the Iraq War. In an interview with NPR's Michele Norris, Riggs said, "I think he should step aside and let someone step in who can be more realistic."[8]

References
  1. "PN391 — Maj. Gen. Johnny M. Riggs — Army". U.S. Congress. July 30, 1999. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  2. US Army Register: Army NGUS, USAR, and Other Active Lists. Vol. II. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1, 1972. p. 676.
  3. Bowman, Tom (2005). "General's career ends when he criticizes the Iraq War: Unceremonious End to Army Career" Archived 2006-04-21 at the Wayback Machine, The Baltimore Sun, May 29, 2005. (URL accessed April 13, 2006)
  4. "Brigadier General (P) John M. Riggs". Department of Defense Appropriations for 1996: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, First Session, Part 4. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1996. ISBN 9780160523960. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  5. Cotton Blossom '64. Vol. 15. Caruthersville, Missouri: Caruthersville High School. 1964. p. 122.
  6. "Johnny M. Riggs". Fort Rucker, Alabama: U.S. Army Aviation Museum. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  7. Riggs, John M. (2003) " The Objective Force: A Holistic Approach to Army Transformation", Army AL&T Magazine, March – April 2003. (URL accessed April 13, 2006)
  8. "Gen. Riggs Joins in Calling for Rumsfeld to Quit, All Things Considered, NPR radio interview, April 13, 2006. (URL accessed April 13, 2006)
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