Jack Keane
American retired general (born 1943)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John M. "Jack" Keane (born 1 February 1943) is a retired American general who served as the 29th vice chief of staff of the United States Army from 1999 to 2003. He was also the acting chief of staff of the Army in 2003. He is a national security analyst, primarily on Fox News, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, and chairman of AM General.
John M. Keane | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1999 | |
| Nickname | "Jack" |
| Born | 1 February 1943 New York City, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1966–2003 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army XVIII Airborne Corps 101st Airborne Division 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division |
| Conflicts | Vietnam War Somali Civil War Operation Uphold Democracy Bosnian War Kosovo War |
| Awards | Presidential Medal of Freedom Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit (5) Bronze Star |
| Alma mater | Fordham University (BS) Western Kentucky University (MA) |
| Website | generaljackkeane |
Born and raised in New York City, he received his commission as an Infantry officer when he graduated from Fordham University's Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 1966. He became a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War, where he served as a platoon and company leader. His commands later included the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division; the Joint Readiness Training Center; the 101st Airborne Division; and the XVIII Airborne Corps. He also served as the deputy commander of the U.S. Atlantic Command from 1998 to 1999. Units under his command were deployed to Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo; and as the vice chief and acting chief of staff he provided oversight for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since his retirement from the Army, Keane has been a commentator and informal government advisor. He had an advisory role during the U.S. occupation of Iraq. An article co-authored by Keane inspired President George W. Bush to undertake the Iraq War troop surge of 2007, and he later advised Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and General David Patreaus in its implementation. He also advised Donald Trump on foreign policy.
Early life and education
John M. "Jack" Keane[1] was born in Manhattan, New York City,[2][3] and grew up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.[1] His father served in the United States Marine Corps and fought in the Pacific theatre of World War II.[4] He is the son of Elizabeth (née Davis) and John Keane. He has a brother, Ronald.[citation needed]
Keane attended Bishop Dubois High School and Fordham University, where he participated in the Pershing Rifles. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1966 after studying at the university's Gabelli School of Business, and received his commission as an Infantry officer via the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. He then attended Western Kentucky University and graduated with an Master of Arts degree in philosophy. He later graduated from the US Army Command and General Staff College and the US Army War College.[1][5][6][7]
Army career
After receiving his commission as a second lieutenant of the U.S. Army in 1966,[1] Keane served in the Vietnam War as a Ranger paratrooper, leading in combat as a platoon leader and company commander. He earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge,[8] and the Silver Star for gallantry while deployed in the Republic of Vietnam.[9] Keane was later promoted to colonel on 28 June 1984,[10] and his commands included the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.[5]
He was promoted to brigadier general on 27 April 1990[11] and then served as the commander of the Joint Readiness Training Center.[4] In 1991 Keane saved the life of David Petraeus during a live-fire exercise. According to Keane, Petraeus was shot "accidentally, standing right next to me, and I had to fight to save his life. He had a hole about the size of a quarter in his back and is gushing with blood, and we stopped the bleeding and got him on a helicopter and got him to a surgeon and so we were sort of bonded ever since that time."[12]
Keane was promoted to major general on 6 August 1993,[13] and then commanded the 101st Airborne Division.[7] He was promoted to lieutenant general on 1 February 1996[14] and served as the commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps until March 1998,[15][16] when he became Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the United States Atlantic Command.[17] During the 1990s, units under his command operated in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo.[5][17]
He was nominated for promotion to general and assignment as the vice chief of staff of the Army in June 1999. He was confirmed on 26 June 1999,[18] and served as the vice chief while Eric Shinseki was the chief.[12] Keane was at the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks, and later provided oversight and support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.[7] He was the first senior military officer to visit the troops on the ground in the Middle East.[4] He also made frequent media appearances and speeches, and maintained the Army's relationships with Congress, the press, and the public.[17] He was under consideration to become the chief of staff of the Army in 2003, but declined the appointment.[19] Keane was the acting chief of staff from 11 June to 1 August 2003, between the retirement of Eric Shinseki and the confirmation of Peter Schoomaker, before he retired[7][20][21] on 16 October 2003.[9]
Later career
After his retirement, he has served as an informal advisor to presidents and other senior officials. He served an advisory role in the management of the US occupation of Iraq, as a member of the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee. In January 2007, Keane and the scholar Frederick W. Kagan released a policy paper, "Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq,"[22] through the American Enterprise Institute that called for bringing security by putting 30,000 additional American troops there for at least 18 months. In part convinced by this paper, President George W. Bush ordered on 10 January 2007, the deployment of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, most of whom would be deployed to Baghdad. The deployment has been nicknamed the 2007 "surge".[23][24][25]
Debate was intense over how long the surge should last. Keane supported a longer buildup of at least one year. The surge was supposed to support the Iraqi Security Forces until they could assume responsibility for country security. The National Intelligence Estimate supported the longer timeframe, noting that there were problems with the independence of the Iraqi police from sectarian militias and death squads. Keane supported the view that distribution of economic assistance would have a more significant impact over a longer deployment because "with the short term surge...the enemy can wait you out."[26]
Of his initial meeting with President Bush regarding the surge, Keane said that he made a phone call to Newt Gingrich to ask his advice prior to the meeting. As Keane said in 2014,
Gingrich gave me some good advice. He said, "Look, Jack. Most people go in the Oval Office, even people who go in there a lot, have a tendency in front of the President of the United States to always leave something on the table." He said, "Don't leave anything on the table." He said, "You're going to get about 15 minutes at best and put it all out there. And when you walk out of that room, feel good that you got it all out there." So that was sound advice, and I did put it all out there.[12]
Keane advised Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and General David Petreaus on the surge.[27] Keane was asked by Vice President Cheney to go back on active duty and to lead the surge in the field. When Keane declined, Cheney pressed him to come work in the White House and oversee both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; Keane again declined. Keane ended up briefly working at the White House and then later traveled to Iraq several times to advise General Petraeus.[28]
Current activities
.jpg)
Keane is a regular contributor to Fox News and is involved in a variety of business, think tank and charitable activities. He is chairman of AM General, the firm that produces the Humvee.[29][30] In June 2016, Keane co-founded IP3 International (IP3), a nuclear energy consulting firm.
Keane is an advisor to the Spirit of America, a 501(c)(3) organization.[31] He was a strategic advisor for Academi and was a director of defense giant General Dynamics.
Keane is considered an influential voice to leaders from both major political parties, including Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, particularly on foreign policy issues related to the Middle East. Trump watched Keane on Fox News for years, and referred to him as "my No. 1 guy."[27] In November 2016, shortly after Stanley McChrystal declined the post of United States secretary of defense, Keane was offered it, but also declined, citing the death of his wife several months earlier. After Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in December 2018, Trump again offered the job to Keane, who again declined.[32][33][34]
He is a member of the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee.[35]
IP3
Keane is a cofounder and director of IP3 International.[36] According to a staff report to the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, during the 2016 US presidential campaign of Donald Trump and subsequently, Trump aides such as Jared Kushner and others have been engaged in promoting IP3's plan to transfer nuclear technology from the US to Saudi Arabia. According to the report, IP3 founders and others have been seeking to broker a deal with Riyadh without the "gold standard," a provision—tied to Section 123 of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act, which establishes conditions for nuclear cooperation between the US and its allies, that seeks to limit weaponizing of nuclear energy.[37][38] In July 2019, the committee chairman released a second staff report that detailed various activities and contacts between IP3 and the Trump administration.[37][39] A letter to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) that was signed by General Keane and executives of IP3, boasted, “The agreements by President Trump and Mohammed bin Salman have established the framework for our unique opportunity to take the next steps with IP3 and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."[40]
Personal life
Keane married his first wife, Theresa Doyle, in 1965, and has two sons.[5] She died in 2016 after having Parkinson's disease for 14 years.[41] He is married to Angela McGlowan.[42][43]
Dates of promotion
| Rank | Branch | Date |
|---|---|---|
 Second lieutenant | Army | 1966[1] |
 Colonel | 28 June 1984[10] | |
 Brigadier general | 27 April 1990[11] | |
 Major general | 6 August 1993[13] | |
 Lieutenant general | 1 February 1996[14] | |
.svg){kind=small} General | 26 June 1999[18] | |
Awards and decorations
Military awards that Keane has received include two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, five Legion of Merits, the Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, one Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Chiefs Service Badge, the Humanitarian Service Medal,[5] Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.
President Donald Trump awarded Keane the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 10 March 2020.[44]
Keane's civilian awards include the Fordham University Distinguished Alumni Award, the USO 2002 Man of the Year award, and the Association of the United States Army 2001 Man of the Year award. Keane was awarded honorary doctorates from Fordham University and Eastern Kentucky University.[6]
.svg){kind=small}
