Douglas Macgregor
Douglas Abbott Macgregor (born January 4, 1947) is a retired U.S. Army colonel, government official, author, consultant, and political commentator. He was a leader in an early tank battle in the Gulf War and was a top planner in the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. His 1997 book Breaking the Phalanx argued for radical reforms inside the Army. His thinking contributed to US strategy in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Douglas Macgregor | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Douglas Abbott Macgregor |
| Born | January 4, 1947 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1976–2004 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Defense Superior Service Medal Bronze Star (with Valor) Meritorious Service Medal (4) Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal National Defense Service Medal (2) Southwest Asia Service Medal (2 Bronze Stars) Kuwait Liberation Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal Humanitarian Service Medal French Meritorious Service Medal (Bronze Star) Parachutist Badge Ranger Tab |
| Alma mater | West Point (B.S.) University of Virginia (Ph.D.) |
After leaving the military in 2004, he became more politically active. In 2020, then-president Donald Trump proposed Macgregor as ambassador to Germany, but the Senate blocked the nomination. On November 11, 2020, a Pentagon spokesperson announced that Macgregor had been hired to serve as Senior Advisor to the Acting Secretary of Defense, a post he held for less than three months. Trump also appointed him to the board of the United States Military Academy, but the appointment was terminated by the incumbent president Joe Biden. Macgregor regularly contributes to Fox News and has appeared on the Russian state-funded channel RT. His commentary has been noted for disparaging Ukraine, immigrants and refugees.