John M. Riggs (born December 2, 1946) 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.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, Riggs is a 1964 graduate of Caruthersville High School in Caruthersville, Missouri. Riggs earned Bachelor of Arts in political science 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 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 United States Army 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 (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