THE GEN. H.R. MCMASTER FILE

Age:

54; born in Philadelphia.

Education:

Graduated from West Point, earned a doctorate from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Current post:

Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center and a deputy commanding general at the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command.

Iraq War experience:

In 2005, he commanded an Army brigade in Tal Afar, Iraq, where he placed troops in small outposts to protect the population and worked closely with local leaders to overcome sectarian rivalries. The tactics were adapted nationwide.

Earlier military career:

As an aggressive young tank officer in the Persian Gulf War in 1991, he earned a Silver Star for bravery when his vastly outnumbered armored unit came upon and destroyed about 80 Iraqi tanks.

Of note:

The stocky former rugby player with a shaved head turned his thesis into a well-received book,

Dereliction of Duty, that detailed the failings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Vietnam War.

“He is a man of genuine intellect, character and ability. He knows how to succeed.” John McCain, R-Ariz., Senate Armed Services Committee chairman