Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster picked to replace Mike Flynn as National Security Advisor

President Donald Trump announced today that Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster will fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor.

The National Security Advisor serves as the senior in-house security advisor in the White House. The position does not require senate confirmation, but does not have line item authority over departments. Nonetheless, the NSC is often the first person to have a president’s ear in times of military crisis and gives a president day to day guidance in the navigation of Washington’s byzantine array of security adjacencies.

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster has served in the U.S. Military since 1984, and saw combat during the First Gulf War. He served as captain, commanding 9 tanks during the Battle of 73 Easting. Following the first Gulf War, McMaster took command of 1st squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, and then held a series of staff positions at CENTCOM.

Image from H.R. McMaster’s article on his experience in the Battle of 73 Easting

During the second Iraq War, he served as commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry, and led a major operation to remove insurgents from the city of Tar Afar.

McMaster was chosen for Brigadier General in 2008, Major General in 2012, and Lt. General in 2014. He served as Deputy to the Commander for Planning, at International Security Assistance Forces Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

McMaster has made public statements critical of the “self-delusion” that high-tech weapons and a “minimalist” commitment of forces could resolve conflicts, and published Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam, a book arguing that the Johnson Administration’s lack of a clear plan in Vietnam led to the defeat.