The USO Board of Governors has named General Richard B. Myers (USAF, ret.) chairman-elect. General Myers will work with other board members, Chairman Edward Reilly and USO President and CEO Sloan Gibson in this capacity until November 2010, at which time he will become Chairman of the Board of Governors.

“The USO is hard at work lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families serving around the world,” said Reilly. “General Myers brings a wealth of operational experience and strategic vision that will guide the USO as we support those who serve our nation.”

Gen. Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to the troops at an USO show on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan on August 19, 2005. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Joshua Balog)

General Myers, originally from Kansas City, Mo., has served on the board since being elected in 2006. Prior to joining the USO Board of Governors, he was the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. Prior to becoming chairman, he served as vice chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. Having served in the Air Force since 1965, his career included operational command and leadership positions in a variety of Air Force and joint assignments. He is the author of Eyes on the Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security.

A graduate of Kansas State University, he holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Auburn University, completed the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.; U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa.; and the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. General Myers also serves on several public and non-profit boards and lectures nationally on national security issues and leadership. He is Foundation Professor of Military History and Leadership at Kansas State University and holds the Colin Powell Chair of Leadership, Ethics, and Character at National Defense University.