John M. Riggs (born December 2, 1946) is a retired

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

general. He was retired in 2005. He had attained the rank of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

, but was retired with the loss of one star, at the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. 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 Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

.Bowman, Tom (2005)
"General's career ends when he criticizes the Iraq War: Unceremonious End to Army Career"
, ''The Baltimore Sun'', May 29, 2005. (URL accessed April 13, 2006)

Education

Born in

Kennett, Missouri Kennett is a city in and the county seat of Dunklin County, Missouri, United States. The city is located in the southeast corner (or " Bootheel") of Missouri, east of Arkansas and from the Mississippi River. It has a population of 10,932 accor ...

, Riggs is a 1964 graduate of Caruthersville High School in

Caruthersville, Missouri Caruthersville is a city in and the county seat of Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States, located along the Mississippi River in the Bootheel region of the state's far southeast. The population was 5,562, according to the 2020 census. Histo ...

. Riggs earned

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

from

Tarkio College Tarkio College was a college that operated in Tarkio, Missouri, from 1883 to 1992. The institution was supported by the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, followed by the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was closed after fi ...

and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in personnel management and administration from

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

. In addition, Riggs completed a National Security Fellowship at the

John F. Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

University.

Military career

He enlisted in the

in 1965. Commissioned a second lieutenant in 1969, he graduated from the Infantry Officers Candidate School at

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...

, 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. 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 Lieutenant General Gregory S. Newbold is a retired United States Marine Corps 3-star general who served as Director of Operations (J-3) for the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2000 until he retired in October 2002. Openly critical of Donald Ru ...

(USMC), Major General

Paul Eaton Paul D. Eaton (born 1950) is a former United States Army officer who commanded the operations to train Iraqi troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Eaton served in that capacity between 2003 and 2004, and then returned to the US to become Deputy ...

(Army), and General

Anthony Zinni Anthony Charles Zinni (born September 17, 1943) is a former United States Marine Corps general and a former Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). From 2001 to 2003, he served as a special envoy for the United States t ...

(USMC)—called for the resignation of Secretary of Defense

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under president Gerald Ford, and again from 2001 to 2006 under Presi ...

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.""Gen. Riggs Joins in Calling for Rumsfeld to Quit
''All Things Considered'', NPR radio interview, April 13, 2006. (URL accessed April 13, 2006)

References

External links

*Bowman, Tom (2004
"Rumsfeld says more troops are unnecessary, costly"
''The Baltimore Sun'', January 22, 2004. (URL accessed April 13, 2006)
"Washington, D.C.: Army General Demoted For Criticizing War in Iraq"
PEN USA, June 1, 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, John M 1946 births Living people People from Kennett, Missouri Tarkio College alumni American Master Army Aviators United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Central Michigan University alumni Harvard Kennedy School people United States Army generals Recipients of the Humanitarian Service Medal