The three-star general’s appointment followed the resignation of Trump’s first national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, over secret talks with the Russians.
McMaster, who spent more than three decades in the U.S. Army, is a 1984 graduate of West Point with a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in American history, according to a White House announcement on his appointment.
He rose to prominence during the Gulf War in the early 1990s commanding the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and was awarded the Silver Star, one of the military’s highest honors for valor in combat.
President Trump extolled the virtues of McMaster in a White House statement after nominating him to the senior aide position.
“My first duty as President is to keep the American people safe. General McMaster has the knowledge and foresight necessary to provide me with expert advice as we work to protect America’s interests at home and abroad,” Trump said.
McMaster said at the time he was honored to serve the president.
“I will work tirelessly in this new role to assist the president as he addresses the complex and growing threats our country is facing around the globe.”
The career military man is also a writer with several books under his belt and a number of articles on historical and national security affairs, according to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he served as a fellow in the early 2000s.
McMaster was born in Philadelphia in 1962. He married Kathleen Trotter in 1985 and the couple have one son.
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