Than Shwe သန်းရွှေ
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
In office 23 April 1992 – 30 March 2011
Deputy	Vice-Senior General Maung Aye
Preceded by	Senior General Saw Maung
Succeeded by	Thein Sein (President)
Prime Minister of Burma
In office 23 April 1992 – 25 August 2003
Preceded by	Saw Maung
Succeeded by	Khin Nyunt
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar
In office 23 April 1992 – 30 March 2011
Deputy	Vice-Senior General Maung Aye
Preceded by	Senior General Saw Maung
Succeeded by	Vice-Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
Personal details
Born	(1933-02-02) 2 February 1933 (age 79)[1] Kyaukse, British Burma (now Myanmar)
Spouse(s)	Kyaing Kyaing
Military service
Service/branch	Myanmar Army
Years of service	1953 - 2011
Rank	Senior General

Senior General Than Shwe (Burmese: သန်းရွှေ; pronounced: [θáɴ ʃwè]; born 3 February 1933) is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and Development Association. In 2011, he officially resigned from his position as head of state, in favor of his hand-picked successor, Thein Sein.

Early life[link]

Than Shwe was born in Minzu village, near Kyaukse, British Burma in 1933. In 1951, Than Shwe attended Government High School in Kyaukse. He took up employment at the Meikhtila Post Office as a postal clerk in 1952. Later he enlisted in the Burmese Army and was in the ninth intake of Army Officer Training School.^[2]

Military Career and Rise to Power[link]

After graduating from the Officer Training School, Second Lieutenant Than Shwe was posted to No. 1 Infantry Battalion as a squad leader on 11 July 1953. He was promoted to platoon commander with the rank of Lieutenant on 11 July 1955 and to Company Commander with the rank of Captain in 21 February 1957 in the same battalion. He was involved in military operation carried out by No. 1 Infantry Battalion in Karen State, Southern Shan State and Eastern Thanlwin area.^[3]

On 26 February 1958, Than Shwe was transferred to the newly established Directorate of Education and Psychological warfare within the War Office. He was posted as a Company Commander to No. 1 Psychological Warfare Battalion under Northern Regional Military Command on 9 December 1961. He became Psychological Warfare Officer of 3rd Infantry Brigade on 4 December 1961. On 18 December 1963, he was transferred to Central Political College as an instructor. He was posted to 101 Light Infantry Battalion as a temporary company commander for battalion headquarter unit.^[4]

Than Shwe was promoted to the rank of Major and posted to the 77th Light Infantry Division on 27 January 1969. He was involved in various military operations carried out by the 77th in Karen Sate, Irrawady Delta region and Bago Hills. He was transferred to Operations Planning Department within the Office of Chief of Staff (ARMY) as a General Staff Officer (G2) on 16 December, 1969.^[5]

He became a temporary commander of No. 1 Infantry Battalion on 23 August 1971 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel on 7 September 1972. As the commanding officer of No. 1 Infantry Battalion, he was involved in offensive operations against various insurgents carried out by the 88th Light Infantry Division in Bhamo region, northern Shan State, southern Shan State, and eastern Shan State. He was transferred back to Operations Planning Department within the Office of Chief of Staff (ARMY) as a General Staff Officer (G1) on 4 August 1975. On 26 March 1977, Than Shwe became a colonel and deputy commander of the 88th Light Infantry Division on 2 May 1978.^[6]

Than Shwe became commanding officer of the 88th on 29 March 1980. He oversaw the various operation such as Operation Ye Naing Aung, Operation Nay Min Yang and Operation Min Yan Aung carried out by the 88th. In 1981, Than Shwe was elected as a member of the ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party's Central Executive Committee during the fourth session of Party's conference.^[7]

He was posted to the South Western Regional Military Command as the commanding officer on 22 July 1983 and subsequently became chairman of Irrawaddy Division Party Committee on 5 August 1983. He became a brigadier general on 16 August 1984. Than Shwe became Vice Chief of Staff (ARMY) on 4 November 1985.^[8]

Than Shwe was promoted to the rank of major general on 4 November 1986 and to the rank of lieutenant general on 4 November 1987. He became Deputy Minister of Defence on 27 July 1988.^[9]

After the military coup on 18 September 1988 after the democracy uprising of 1988, Than Shwe became Vice Chairman of State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), 21-member military cabinet headed by General Saw Maung. He was promoted to the rank of full General and became Vice Commander in Chief of Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and Commander in Chief of Myanmar Army on 18 March 1990.^[10]

On 23 April 1992, Senior General Saw Maung unexpectedly resigned citing health reasons,^[11] Than Shwe elevated himself to the rank of Senior General and replaced Senior General Saw Maung as head of State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and Commander in Chief of Myanmar Armed Forces.

Style of leadership[link]

Than Shwe meets with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Naypyidaw in 2010.

Than Shwe relaxed some state control over the economy,^[12] and was a supporter of Burma's participation in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). He also oversaw a large crackdown on corruption, which saw the sackings of a number of cabinet ministers and regional commanders in 1997.

The convention for the "Discipline Democracy New Constitution" was convened from 9 January 1993 to 3 September 2007, a period of more than 14 years and 8 months. Although the main opposition party, National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi, which won the multi-party democracy general election in 1990, did not participate, the chairman of National Convention Lieutenant General Thein Sein announced that the creation of the "Constitution" had been accomplished.

Than Shwe has continued the suppression of the free press in Burma, and has overseen the detention of journalists who oppose his regime. While he oversaw the release of Aung San Suu Kyi during the late 1990s, he also oversaw her return to detention in 2003. Despite his relaxation of some restrictions on Burma's economy, his economic policies have been often criticized as ill-planned.^[13][14]

He maintains a low profile. He tends to be seen as being sullen, humorless and rather withdrawn, a hardliner, skilled manipulator and an opponent of the democratization of Burma.^[15] He marks national holidays and ceremonies with messages in the state-run newspapers, but rarely talks to the press. The lavish wedding of his daughter, involving diamonds and champagne, was particularly controversial in a country whose people continue to suffer enormous poverty and enforced austerity.^[16]

Power struggles have plagued Burma's military leadership. Than Shwe has been linked to the toppling and arrest of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt in 2004, which has significantly increased his own power.^[17] The former premier, who said he supported Aung San Suu Kyi's involvement in the National Convention, was seen as a moderate at odds with the junta's hardliners.

Than Shwe is said to rely heavily on advice from his soothsayers, a style of ruling dating back to Ne Win, a leader who once shot his mirror to avoid bad luck.^[18]

In May and November 2006 he met with the United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in the newly-built capital of Naypyidaw, which had replaced Yangon in the previous year, and permitted Gambari to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. However, Than Shwe refused to meet Gambari when he visited Burma in November 2007 and again on 10 March 2008.^[19]

In early May 2008, Than Shwe refused many foreign aid workers from entering the country in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis (May 2, 2008).^[20] This led to many criticisms from the UN as well as the international community.

In early July 2009, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon visited Burma and held talks with General Than Shwe. The military junta rejected UN Secretary General's request to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. Than Shwe also commented on the upcoming 2010 Burmese election, saying that by the time the UN chief next visits Burma, ""I will be an ordinary citizen, a lay person, and my colleagues will too because it will be a civilian government."^[21]

On 27 August 2010, rumors surfaced that Than Shwe and his deputy, Vice Senior General Maung Aye, along with six other top military officers, had resigned their military posts, and that he was expected to remain head of state until at least the end of the 2011 fiscal year, when he would transfer his position to the elected president.^[22] The rumor was proven false as the Burmese state media referred to him as Senior General three days later.^[23]

Health and family[link]

Than Shwe's wife, Kyaing Kyaing, is an ethnic Pa-O. They have five daughters, Aye Aye Thit Shwe, Dewa Shwe, Khin Pyone Shwe, Kyi Kyi Shwe, and Thandar Shwe, and three sons, Kyaing San Shwe, Thant Zaw Shwe and Htun Naing Shwe.^[24][25] Than Shwe is known to be a diabetic,^[17] and he is rumored to have intestinal cancer.^[26] He rarely makes public appearances.^[27]

Than Shwe flew to Singapore on 31 December 2006. Concerns about Than's health intensified after he failed to appear at an official Independence Day dinner for military leaders, officials, and diplomats on 4 January 2007. It was the first time since he took power in 1992 that Than did not host the annual dinner. Than Shwe had checked out of Singapore's General Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment, and returned to Burma two weeks later.

In 2006, a home video footage of the wedding of Than Shwe's daughter, Thandar Shwe, was leaked on the Internet, which sparked controversy and criticism from Burmese and foreign media for the lavish and seemingly ostentatious reception.^[16][28]

After days of anti-government protests, there were unconfirmed reports that Than Shwe's wife and pets fled the country on 27 September 2007, possibly to Laos.^[29]

International media[link]

Than Shwe ranked No. 4 on Parade Magazine's 2009 "World's Worst Dictators" list.^[30] He also ranked No. 2 on Listverse's Top Ten Worst Living Dictators list.

See also[link]

Current events/Southeast Asia portal

• Naypyidaw
• Tatmadaw

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Johnson, Robert (2005). A region in turmoil: South Asian conflicts since 1947. Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-257-7.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Than Shwe

This article contains Burmese script. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Burmese script.

• Than Shwe Watch at the Irrawaddy
• Than Shwe's daughter's wedding - YouTube
• Than Shwe at WN
• Than Shew's search/Information from Myanmar Search Engine

v t e Heads of state of Burma (Myanmar) Sao Shwe Thaik Ba U Win Maung Ne Win1 San Yu1 Sein Lwin1 Aye Ko2 Maung Maung2 Saw Maung1 Than Shwe1 Thein Sein ^1 military officeholders ^2 acting officeholders

v t e Prime Ministers of Burma (Myanmar) U Nu Ba Swe U Nu Ne Win U Nu Ne Win[m] Sein Win[m] Maung Maung Kha[m] Tun Tin Saw Maung[m] Than Shwe[m] Khin Nyunt[m] Soe Win[m] Thein Sein[m] ^[m] military officeholders

Thein Sein သိန်းစိန်
President of Burma
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 March 2011
Vice President	Sai Mauk Kham
Preceded by	Than Shwe (Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council)
Prime Minister of Burma
In office 24 October 2007 – 30 March 2011 Acting: April 2007 – 24 October 2007
Leader	Than Shwe
Preceded by	Soe Win
Succeeded by	Position abolished
First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council
In office 2004 – 24 October 2007
Preceded by	Khin Nyunt
Succeeded by	Tin Aung Myint Oo
Member of the Pyithu Hluttaw
In office 7 November 2010 – 30 March 2011
Succeeded by	Sanda Min
Constituency	Zabuthiri Township
Majority	65,620 (91.2%)
Personal details
Born	(1945-04-20) 20 April 1945 (age 67)[1] Kyounku, British Burma
Political party	Union Solidarity and Development Party (2010–present)
Other political affiliations	State Peace and Development Council (Before 2010)
Spouse(s)	Khin Khin Win
Alma mater	Defence Services Academy
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
Website	http://www.president-office.gov.mm
Military service
Service/branch	Myanmar Army
Years of service	1968–2010
Rank	General

This article contains Burmese script. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Burmese script.

Thein Sein (Burmese: သိန်းစိန် [θéɪɴ zèɪɴ]; born 20 April 1945) is a Burmese politician and former military figure who has been president of Burma (Myanmar) since March 2011. Previously, he was Prime Minister from 2007 until 2011. He is generally considered to be a moderate and reformist in the new government.^[2]

Early life[link]

Thein Sein was born in Kyonku, British Burma (now Myanmar), a small village in what is now Ngapudaw Township in the Irrawaddy delta to parents Maung Phyo (father) and Khin Nyunt (mother). He was the youngest of three children. His parents were landless, and his father made a living carrying cargo at the river jetty and weaving bamboo mats.^[3]

Political career[link]

Thein Sein graduated from the 9th intake of the Defense Services Academy in 1968.^[4]

Throughout Thein Sein's four-decade-long military career, he was considered a bureaucrat, not a combat soldier. In 1988, he served as a major for Sagaing Division's 55th Light Infantry Division and later served as a commander for Sagaing Division's 89th Infantry Battalion in Kalay Township. The following year, he studied at the Command and General Staff College in Kalaw, Shan State.

By 1991, he had returned to Yangon, after being promoted to the rank of colonel and 1st Grade General Staff Officer in the War Office. He was then promoted to Brigadier General, but remained at his position in the War Office, which marked the first time a Brigadier General was promoted to General Staff Officer.

In 1995, he was recruited as the commander of Yangon Division's Military Operations Command 4 in Hmawbi. A year later, in 1996, he was appointed to lead the new Triangle Regional Military Command in Kyaingtong, Shan State, serving this role for four years (1997–2001). While serving as Commander, he was known to be close to drug lords in the United Wa State Army and Lahu militia officials.^[5][6]

In 1997, he became a member of the State Peace and Development Council and was appointed as Secretary-2 in 2003.^[7][8] He was also promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General that year.^[9]

After Khin Nyunt was deposed in 2004, Thein Sein was promoted to Secretary-1.^[7]

Prime Minister[link]

Thein Sein was appointed in April 2007 by the nation's ruling military junta^[10] as interim prime minister, replacing Soe Win, who was undergoing medical treatment for leukemia.^[11][12] Thein Sein was formally appointed as Soe Win's permanent successor on 24 October 2007 after Soe Win's death on 12 October 2007.^[13]

Sein held the position of first secretary in the ruling State Peace and Development Council junta. He was the country's fourth-highest ranking general,^[14] and also served as the chairman of the government-sponsored National Convention Convening Commission.^[15] Thein Sein carried out high-level negotiations with Bangladesh and Cambodia.^[11][12]

In 2007, sometime after his official appointment as prime minister, he was promoted to the rank of General from Lieutenant General.^[16] On his first official visit outside Myanmar as prime minister, Thein Sein carried out high-level negotiations with Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.^[17][18][19]

In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, he led the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee as chairman and was criticized for the government's systematic blocking of relief efforts.^[8]

Presidency[link]

On 29 April 2010, he retired from the military, along with 22 other military officials, to lead the Union Solidarity and Development Party as a civilian.^[20] During the 2010 general election, he was head of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, which contested in a controversial elections and won the overwhelming majority of seats in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. Thein Sein ran against National Unity Party candidate Kyaw Aye during the election, contesting a Pyithu Hluttaw seat to represent the constituents of Naypyidaw Union Territory's Zabuthiri Township. He purportedly won 91.2% of the votes (65,620).^[21]

On 4 February 2011, Sein was elected by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw's Presidential Electoral College as the next president of Myanmar, becoming the country's first non-interim civilian president in 49 years. Tin Aung Myint Oo and Sai Mauk Kham were named as the new vice-presidents.^[22]

Sein was sworn in on 30 March 2011 alongside the two vice presidents and the newly elected parliament.^[23] In the first month of his presidency, he sought the support of ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan to support Burma's bid to chair the ASEAN Summit in 2014.^[24] As of July 2011, the government has formed a planning committee led by foreign affairs minister Wunna Maung Lwin.^[25]

Thein Sein is considered a moderate willing to engage with Aung San Suu Kyi; he had a high-profile meeting with her in Naypyidaw on 19 August 2011.^[26]

On 17 August 2011, he was quoted by the state newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar as saying:^[27]

Various news sources intrepreted his suggestion as an invitation for overseas Burmese citizens to return to their country of origin and help rebuild the Burmese economy.^[28]

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Burma's President Thein Sein in Naypyitaw, 1 December 2011.

He suffers from heart disease and uses a pacemaker.^[29][30]

References[link]

v t e Heads of state of Burma (Myanmar) Sao Shwe Thaik Ba U Win Maung Ne Win1 San Yu1 Sein Lwin1 Aye Ko2 Maung Maung2 Saw Maung1 Than Shwe1 Thein Sein ^1 military officeholders ^2 acting officeholders

v t e Prime Ministers of Burma (Myanmar) U Nu Ba Swe U Nu Ne Win U Nu Ne Win[m] Sein Win[m] Maung Maung Kha[m] Tun Tin Saw Maung[m] Than Shwe[m] Khin Nyunt[m] Soe Win[m] Thein Sein[m] ^[m] military officeholders

The People's Liberation Army has not always used ranks or insignia. In common with the practice of the Red Army at the time of its founding in 1927, neither were used until 1955 when a system of ranks was established. As a result of the Cultural Revolution, ranks were abolished in May 1965. After the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, reforms in the PLA began to be made to professionalize the armed forces once more. The 1984 Military Service Law provided for the resumption of rank, but disagreements on what ranks were to be used and who would receive them caused the revival of rank to be delayed until 1988.

Ranks of officers[link]

The insignia used by officers in the period 1955-1965 were similar in style to those used by the military of the Soviet Union at the time, with the primary differences being the existence of an additional field officer rank, and the insignia of the highest general officer rank being four stars instead of one larger star.

The current system of officer ranks and insignia is a revision of the ranks and insignia established in 1955. The 1955-1965 marshal officer ranks of Yuan Shuai (Marshal) and Da Yuan Shuai (Grand Marshal) were not revived. The general officer ranks (Jiang) were revised by the addition of semi-circular wreath at the bottom of the insignia and by a change in the name of the highest general officer rank from Da Jiang (General of the Army) to Yi Ji Shang Jiang (literally: First Class Senior General). This highest rank in the new system was never held and was abolished in 1994. The field officer (Xiao) and company officer (Wei) ranks were the same in title and insignia except that highest company-level officer rank of Da Wei in the 1955-1965 system was not included in the revived ranks. The final difference between the two systems is that in 1955-1965 there existed a warrant officer rank, Zhun Wei, which was not incorporated in the revived rank system, while new system had a rank for officer cadets, Xue Yuan. Despite being the rank below Shao Wei in both systems, the insignia have no similarities.

Officer rank names are usually not translated literally, but rather to a corresponding rank system. This can lead to different translations being used depending on the system chosen for the correspondences. The 1955-1965 system, with its greater number of officer ranks, is usually translated using the Soviet rank system of that era, while the modern officer ranks are usually given a NATO rank correspondence. For example, the non-literal translation used for the rank of Shang Jiang (literally: Senior General) depends on whether one is comparing it to Soviet or Russian ranks (Colonel General) or to British or American ranks (General).

From left to right indicate insignias of the PLAN, the PLAAF, PLA ground forces(including the Army and the Second Artillery Corps) and the Armed Police. From up to down show insignias of ranks from Major to General.

Ranks of enlisted personnel[link]

The current system of enlisted ranks and insignia dates from 2009.

From left to right indicate insignias of the PLAN, the PLAAF, PLA ground forces(including the Army and the Second Artillery Corps) and the Armed Police. From up to down show insignias of Private, PFC, Junior NCO, NCO, Senior NCO, Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant and Captain. Insignias of ranks from Chief NCO to Chief NCO First class and Officer Cadet are not shown here.

Ranks in other Chinese military bodies[link]

The People's Liberation Army Air Force generally has the same names, position and ranks as the People's Liberation Army Land Force, however, and their insignia correspond except Air Force ranks have light blue fimbriations instead of red (though it appears that the colour for the army has now changed to green, and red is only used in ceremonial occasions). Ranks of the People's Liberation Navy also correspond, except with dark blue fimbriations.

See also[link]

• Comparative military ranks

References[link]

• PLA Uniforms and Insignia
• Military ranks of the People's Liberation Army, on pre-2007 uniforms

v t e People's Liberation Army (PLA) General History Modernization Budget Equipment Officers Weapons of mass destruction Branches Ground Forces (Special Operations) Navy Marine Corps Naval Air Force Air Force Airborne Corps Airbases Second Artillery Corps (strategic missiles) Administration State Central Military Commission Chairman Supreme Military Command General Staff / Political / Logistics / Armaments Departments COSTIND Ministry of National Defense Regions Shenyang Beijing Lanzhou Jinan Nanjing Guangzhou Hong Kong Macau Chengdu Insignia Ranks Army Navy Air Force Decorations Hero's Medal Meritorious Service Medal Uniform Type 07 Type 99 (camouflage) Type 97 Service Dress Other topics PLA institutions Academy of Military Science National Defense University 301 Military Hospital PLA Daily Paramilitary forces (non-PLA) Militia and reserve forces People's Armed Police Special Police Unit Snow Leopard Commando Unit Immediate Action Unit China Coast Guard Contractors* China Electronics Technology Cooperation International China Jing An Import and Export Corporation China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation China North Industries Corporation China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation China Xinshidai Company China Xinxing Import and Export Corporation Poly Technologies Military / Naval history of China List of Chinese battles *Authorized Defense Products Dealer of PRC

Jim Webb
United States Senator from Virginia
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2007 Serving with Mark Warner
Preceded by	George Allen
66th United States Secretary of the Navy 18th Secretary under the DoD
In office May 1, 1987 – February 23, 1988
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	John Lehman
Succeeded by	William L. Ball
1st Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
In office May 3, 1984 – April 10, 1987
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	New Office
Succeeded by	Stephen Duncan
Personal details
Born	James Henry Webb, Jr. (1946-02-09) February 9, 1946 (age 66) Saint Joseph, Missouri
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	(1) Barbara Samorajczyk (div.) (2) Jo Ann Krukar (div.) (3) Hong Le Webb
Children	Amy Webb Hogan Sarah Webb Jimmy Webb Julia Webb Georgia LeAnh Webb step daughter Emily
Residence	Falls Church, Virginia
Alma mater	United States Naval Academy (B.S.) Georgetown University (J.D.)
Profession	U.S. Marine Author Screenwriter
Religion	Non-denominational Protestant
Signature	Jim Webb's signature
Website	www.webb.senate.gov
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1968–1972
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	Delta Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Navy Cross Silver Star Bronze Star (2) Purple Heart (2)

James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Webb served as a Marine Corps infantry officer until 1972, and is a highly decorated Vietnam War combat veteran. During his four years with the Reagan administration, Webb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, then as Secretary of the Navy.

Webb won the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Virginia Senate race by defeating Harris Miller in the primary, then won the general election by defeating the Republican incumbent George Allen. Webb's thin margin in the general election (less than 0.5%) kept the outcome uncertain for nearly two days after polls closed on November 7, 2006, and provided the final seat that tilted the Senate to Democratic control. On his sixty-fifth birthday, he announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012, saying that he does not want to spend his whole life in politics, and that he wants to return to the private sector.

Webb is also an author of many books, stating that "I've written for a living all my life, so writing is as much a part of me as working out."^[1]

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Webb was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri, to James Henry Webb and his wife Vera Lorraine (Hodges).^[2] He grew up in a military family. Webb is descended from Scots-Irish immigrants from Ulster who emigrated in the 18th century to the British North American colonies. Webb's 2004 book Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America details his family history, noting that his ancestors fought in every major American war.

Webb's father, a career officer in the U.S. Air Force, flew B-17s and B-29s during World War II, and dropped cargo during the Berlin Airlift. After developing an inner ear disorder, Meniere's Disease, which grounded him as a pilot, he became a pioneer in the Air Force missile programs. He later served as the Commanding Officer of the 1001st Missile Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base. He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Education[link]

Due to his father's military career, Webb grew up on the move, attending more than a dozen schools across the U.S. and in England. After graduating from high school in Bellevue, Nebraska, he attended the University of Southern California on a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship from 1963–1964 (and was a member of Delta Chi). In 1964, Webb earned appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. At Annapolis, Webb was a member of the Brigade Honor Committee. He also won a varsity letter for boxing, at one point fighting a match against Oliver North, which was won by North on decision. He graduated in 1968, in the same class with North, Dennis C. Blair, Michael Mullen, and Michael Hagee.

Personal life[link]

Webb has been married three times, has four grown children, as well as a young child with his current wife Hong Le, and is stepfather to Le's daughter Emily from a previous marriage.^[3]

His first marriage was to Barbara Samorajczyk, a member of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland Council. They divorced in 1979. They have one daughter, Amy Hogan, who was eight at the time of the divorce.^[4]

His second marriage was to health-care lobbyist Jo Ann Krukar in 1981^[4] who also assisted in his 2006 Senate campaign. They have three children: Sarah, Jimmy, and Julia. Jimmy Webb is a rifleman and Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, and served a tour in Iraq with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion 6th Marines.^[5][6] In tribute to Jimmy Webb and "all the people sent into harm's way", Webb wore his son's old combat boots every day during his 2006 Senate campaign.^[7]

Webb married to Hong Le Webb--a Vietnamese-American securities and corporate lawyer-- twenty-two years his junior. Hong Le Webb was born in South Vietnam and escaped to the United States when she was seven after the fall of Saigon. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. They first met in 1994 and started dating in 2002 when both were separated from their previous spouses. They married in October 2006.^[8] Hong Le and Jim Webb have one child together, Georgia LeAnh, born December 2006. Hong Le Webb also has a daughter from a previous marriage.^[3] Webb speaks Vietnamese.^[9]

Military service[link]

After graduating from Annapolis, Webb was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a first lieutenant during the Vietnam War he served as a platoon commander with Delta Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines. He earned a Navy Cross, the second highest decoration in the Navy and Marine Corps for heroism in Vietnam. Webb also earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts.^[10]

Awards and decorations[link]

Known decorations and medals include:

Webb received the Navy Cross for actions on July 10, 1969. The citation read:

In a November 19, 2006 appearance on Meet the Press, Webb told host Tim Russert, "I’m one of these people who – there aren’t many of us – who can still justify for you the reasons that we went into Vietnam, however screwed up the strategy got."^[12]

Post-military career[link]

James Webb as Assistant Secretary of Defense, 1984.

Webb attended Georgetown Law Center from 1972 to 1975, graduating with a Juris Doctor degree. While at Georgetown, Webb wrote his first book, Micronesia and U.S. Pacific Strategy.^[13]

From 1977 to 1981, Webb worked on the staff of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. During this time, he also represented veterans pro-bono. Webb also taught at the Naval Academy and was criticized for a 1979 article published in the Washingtonian titled "Women Can't Fight"^[14] (see "Senate Election" below).

During the Reagan Administration, Webb served as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from 1984 to 1987. During his time as Assistant Secretary, Webb sought to reorganize the Marine Corps. He was gravely concerned with the disarray the Marines had fallen into post-Vietnam: drug use, racial infighting, and low morale within the Corps left him with the impression it was no longer America's premier fighting force. The Marine Corps was also rocked by two scandals during this time: the Clayton Lonetree espionage affair, where Lonetree became the first Marine convicted of espionage, and Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North's central role in the Iran-Contra affair.

In 1987, he served as Secretary of the Navy, becoming the first Naval Academy graduate to serve as the civilian head of the Navy. As Navy Secretary, Webb pushed the appointment of Alfred M. Gray, Jr. as Commandant of the Marine Corps, hoping that Gray could reshape the Corps into the elite unit it once was.^[15] Webb resigned in 1988 after refusing to agree to reduce the size of the Navy. Webb had wished to increase the Navy to 600 ships. As revealed in The Reagan Diaries, President Ronald Reagan wrote on February 22, 1988: "I don't think Navy was sorry to see him go."^[16]

After his resignation, Webb earned his living primarily as an author and filmmaker. He won an Emmy Award for his 1983 PBS coverage of the U.S. Marines in Beirut.

Among Webb's awards for community service and professional excellence are the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award, the American Legion National Commander's Public Service Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Media Service Award, the Marine Corps League's Military Order of the Iron Mike Award, the John H. Russell Leadership Award, and the Robert L. Denig Distinguished Service Award

In a 1990 New York Times opinion piece, Webb opposed further U.S. military escalation in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield citing lack of a coherent strategy and consent from the United States Congress. He also warned against a permanent military presence in the Middle East.^[17] Seven months before the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War, Webb wrote an essay for the Washington Post in which he

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Webb wrote an op-ed piece for USA Today in which he, as a military veteran, evaluated the candidacies of John Kerry and George W. Bush. He criticized Kerry for the nature of his opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1970s while affiliated with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and accused Bush of using his father's connections to avoid service in Vietnam. Webb also wrote that Bush had "committed the greatest strategic blunder in modern memory" with the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[19]

Webb supported Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey's campaign for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.^[10] He endorsed incumbent Democrat Charles Robb for reelection to his Senate seat, over Webb's former Naval Academy classmate and fellow Marine Oliver North, in 1994.^[20] Webb subsequently endorsed Republican George Allen over Robb in 2000,^[21] and then ran against Allen himself in 2006.

United States Senate[link]

2006 Senate campaign[link]

Painting of Webb

In late 2005, a campaign to draft Webb to run for the Senate in 2006 began on the Internet. On February 7, 2006, he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Senate race against incumbent Virginia Senator George Allen.^[22]

In the Democratic primary on June 13, 2006, Webb faced longtime businessman and lobbyist Harris Miller. Webb won with 53.5% of the vote, in a race with low turnout.^[23]

Webb benefited from the fallout from an August 11, 2006 incident in which Allen used the word macaca to refer to S.R. Sidarth, who was filming an event as a "tracker" for the Webb campaign. A poll the following week showed Webb gaining 10 percentage points. The race, which at one point looked like a sure win for Allen, became one of the most watched and closest races of the 2006 elections.

Allen had been expected to be reelected relatively easily, and that this reelection would prepare him for a possible 2008 Presidential candidacy. But Webb's entry into the race and primary victory changed the political landscape. Political analyst Larry Sabato said in May that "Jim Webb is George Allen's worst nightmare: a war hero and a Reagan appointee who holds moderate positions… Allen tries to project a Reagan aura, but Webb already has it."^[24] In September, Bloomberg.com's Catherine Dodge wrote an article highlighting Webb and the Senate race, and said "Webb isn't a typical Democrat. His family hails from the rural southern part of the state. He's pro-gun ownership, and he takes a harder line on illegal immigration than many Senate Republicans."^[25]

On September 7, 2006, Webb released his first television advertisement, which included footage of a 1985 speech by Ronald Reagan that praised Webb's service as a Marine.^[26] The next day, the Chief of Staff for the Reagan Library wrote Webb's campaign on behalf of former first lady Nancy Reagan, urging them not to air the advertisement saying it was neither fair nor respectful because it gave the impression of an endorsement.^[27][28] The Webb campaign disagreed, saying, "What Reagan said about Jim Webb, that belongs to Jim Webb, frankly."^[27] The library said they ask all candidates to refrain from using the former president's image but declined to say if they would request the Allen campaign to remove the image of Reagan used on his campaign website.^[27]

Five female graduates of the United States Naval Academy held a press conference, decrying a 1979 article by Webb, titled "Women Can't Fight."^[29] The women said Webb's article contributed to an atmosphere of hostility and harassment towards women at the academy. Webb was later endorsed by nine military women who stated that Webb is a "man of integrity" who "recognizes the crucial role that women have in the military today."^[30]

In October 2006, the Allen campaign issued a press release quoting several passages from Webb's novels with sexual content, including graphic references to female anatomy and purported pedophilia, homosexuality and incest, citing a passage in which a Southeast Asian father ritually places the penis of his young son in his mouth. The press release said that the passages showed a "continued pattern of demeaning women".^[31] Allen's campaign refused to tell a local radio news station, WTOP-FM, whether it in fact had issued a news release on the matter.^[32]

On November 9, 2006, after AP and Reuters projected that Webb had won the seat, Allen conceded the election. Although the margin was narrow – less than half of 1% of the total vote and therefore small enough under Virginia law to allow demanding a recount – Allen stated that he would not challenge the result.

Webb, as a Democratic veteran challenger, was also considered one of the Fighting Dems.

Senator-elect[link]

On November 15, 2006, Senate majority leader in waiting Harry Reid assigned Webb to three committees: the committees on Foreign Relations, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services.^[33]

That same day, an op ed authored by Webb appeared in the pages of the Wall Street Journal. Titled "Class Struggle," the piece addressed what Webb feels is a growing economic inequality in the United States, touching on what he feels are overly permissive immigration policies, extravagant executive compensation, the detrimental effects of free trade and globalization, iniquitous tax cuts, and speedily rising health care costs, and attacking the "elites" who he says perpetuate the aforementioned woes for their personal economic gain.^[34]

Tense exchange with President Bush[link]

On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Webb declined to stand in the line to have his picture taken with the president, whom Webb often criticized during the campaign. The president approached Webb later and asked him, "How's your boy?", referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq. Webb replied "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President." Bush responded, "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?" Webb responded, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." The Hill cited an anonymous source who claimed that Webb was so angered by the exchange that he confessed he was tempted to "slug" the president.^[35] Webb later remarked in an interview, "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall."^[36]

In response to the incident, some conservatives criticized Webb, including George Will, who called Webb a "boor" and wrote, "[Webb] already has become what Washington did not need another of, a subtraction from the city's civility and clear speaking."^[37][38] Others, such as conservative columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, reserved their criticism for Bush, writing: "I thought it had the sound of the rattling little aggressions of our day, but not on Mr. Webb's side."^[39]

Jim Webb with son Jimmy and George W. Bush in March, 2008‎

Webb was asked about the exchange in a January 4, 2007 appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews. He told Matthews:

"My feeling about that – first of all, it's been kind of a bit overblown. But I think when people are now seeing how John McCain is handling the situation with his son being in the Marine Corps, perhaps they can understand a little bit more what I was having to go through during the entire campaign. I greatly respect my son‘s service and all of the people who are serving. At the same time, I have not commented, even to many of my friends, about the operational side. That‘s personal to me in terms of my feelings about it. And it was not a casual comment. As I said in the piece that you just ran, I think the best article that was written on that was by Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal when she basically said that the lack of civility was not mine and I feel that way."^[40]

After his son returned from Iraq, Webb "buried the hatchet" with the president by setting up a private chat with his son, the president, and himself in the Oval Office.^[41]

110th Congress[link]

On January 4, 2007, Webb was sworn into the 110th U.S. Senate, accompanied by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., a fellow former Secretary of the Navy; and former Virginia Democratic Sen. Charles Robb.^[42]

Jim Webb

Webb’s first legislative act was to introduce a bill, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to expand benefits for military families. The act replaces key provisions of the Montgomery G.I. Bill for recent veterans and “makes veterans benefits identical to those soldiers received following World War II.”^[42] “With many of our military members serving two or three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is past time to enact a new veterans’ education program modeled on the World War II era G.I. bill. This is exactly what our legislation does.” Webb said.^[42] It became law on June 30, 2008, as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008.

In a January 4, 2007, appearance on The Situation Room, Webb articulated his position on the Iraq War: "What we really need to do is to get into the arena where we can talk about a strategy, talk about the pluses and the minuses of the Baker-Hamilton Commission and work toward a solution that, on the one hand, will allow us to remove our combat troops, but on the other, will increase the stability of the region, allow us to continue to fight against international terrorism and allow us, as a nation, to address our strategic interests around the world. And this is – this is one of the drawbacks that we've had with so many troops having been put into this constant rotational basis inside one country when we have a war against international terrorism that's global."

Asked by Wolf Blitzer if he would ever support the efforts of Dennis Kucinich to cut funding for the war, Webb said, "I – you know, I lived through Vietnam. I lived through it as a Marine and I know that those sorts of approaches, while they seem attractive on one level are really not that realistic. What we want to do – and I was talking with a number of senators today – is to try to get some of these so-called emergency legislation packages back into the committee process so that the committees can actually play."^[43]

On January 23, 2007, Webb delivered the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address, focusing on the economy and Iraq.^[44] Webb's speech drew positive reviews, and was regarded as one of the stronger State of the Union responses in recent memory.^[45] Webb, a decorated war veteran spoke of his family’s military past, his own passionate attachment to the military, and the way in which previous presidents had always attempted to ensure that all precautions had been taken when sending young Americans into harm's way.

On March 5, 2007, Webb introduced his second piece of legislation, S. 759, intended to prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran without the prior approval of Congress. In a statement on the floor of the Senate, Webb said, "The major function of this legislation is to prevent this Administration from commencing unprovoked military activities against Iran without the approval of the Congress. The legislation accomplishes this goal through the proper constitutional process of prohibiting all funding for such an endeavor."^[46]

On March 26, 2007, a senatorial aide of Webb, Phillip Thompson, was arrested for carrying Webb's loaded pistol as he entered the Russell Senate Office Building and for carrying unregistered ammunition. The weapon was discovered when Thompson went through an X-ray machine with a briefcase that contained a loaded pistol and two additional loaded magazines.^[47] Charges against the aide were dismissed after prosecutors concluded it could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Thompson was aware that the gun and ammunition were in the briefcase.^[48] Webb responded to his aide's arrest by reiterating his support for gun-owners' rights:

"I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment; I have had a permit to carry a weapon in Virginia for a long time; I believe that it’s important; it’s important to me personally and to a lot of people in the situation that I’m in to be able to defend myself and my family."^[49]

2009 visit to Southeast Asia[link]

On August 14, 2009 Webb visited Myanmar (Burma), seeing its junta's leader, Gen. Than Shwe and also the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest. During Webb's visit with Than Shwe, Webb negotiated the release and deportation of an imprisoned American, John Yettaw.^[50]

Webb visited Vietnam as part of a two-week trip to five Southeast Asian countries. The Senator, who serves as chair of the Senate Foreign Relation’s subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs, stopped in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City on August 19, where he met government officials, business leaders, and friends from his past involvement in US-Vietnamese relations. Webb, who can speak Vietnamese, has had a continuous involvement in Asian and Pacific affairs that long predates his time in the Senate. In addition to his more recent visits as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Webb has worked and traveled throughout this vast region, from Micronesia to Burma, for nearly four decades, as a Marine Corps officer, a defense planner, a journalist, a novelist, a Department of Defense executive, and as a business consultant. He worked in the 1990s as a consultant for companies attempting to do business in Vietnam.^[51]

Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009[link]

On March 26, 2009, Webb filed the Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 (SB 714), which would create a blue ribbon commission to reevaluate the criminal justice system and drug policy and make recommendations for reform.^[52] Noting that the United States houses 25% of the world's inmates despite having only 5% of the world's population, Webb proposed a comparison between U.S. incarceration policies and those of other developed nations.^[53] At a United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs hearing, Webb described the criminal justice system as being in "...a profound, deeply corrosive crisis that we have largely been ignoring at our peril." He also criticized the lack of standards in prison administration and highlighted the justice system's negative impact on communities. The subcommittee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), expressed support for the bill at the hearing and indicated his intent to move the bill to the full United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.^[54] As of December 5, 2009, the bill had 35 cosponsors.^[55]

In the fall, an amendment to SB 714 was proposed by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would have prohibited the commission created by the bill from discussing or recommending the decriminalization or legalization of any substance prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act.^[56] The proposed amendment drew criticism from some in the online community and was perceived as an attempt at censorship. Grassley later rescinded the amendment and claimed in a Des Moines Register op-ed he had proposed it to "start a debate on this important issue."^[57]

SB 714 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a voice vote on January 21, 2010.

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Airland
  • Subcommittee on Personnel (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on SeaPower
• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs
  • Subcommittee on African Affairs
  • Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on European Affairs
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs
• Joint Economic Committee

Engagement with Vietnam on rights[link]

On January 27, 2010, Webb condemned Vietnam's jailing of four dissidents but urged the Obama administration not to isolate the communist nation. Webb voiced concern about Vietnam's jailing of the four dissidents for subversion in a day-long trial the previous week. "The arrest and trial of these individuals illustrates the growing pressure in Asia towards government censorship and authoritarian control," said Webb, "Rather than isolate Vietnam for its actions, I encourage the Obama administration to continue to raise issues of freedom of association and rule of law with the government of Vietnam."^[58]

Webb is a strong advocate of engagement with non-democratic states in Asia. He is the most prominent advocate in Congress for dialogue with military-run Myanmar, often pointing to Vietnam as an example of how US engagement can lead to greater openness. Vietnam sentenced the four democracy advocates to between five and 16 years in prison, a decision condemned by the United States and European Union.^[59]

Retirement[link]

On February 9, 2011, Webb announced his plan to not run for reelection in 2012.^[60][61]

2008 Vice presidential speculation[link]

Webb was frequently mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential Democratic nominee for Barack Obama in 2008 due to his military experience and moderate policy positions.^{[62][63][64][65][66]} Although he said he was not interested in the vice presidency,^[67] speculations about him being picked by Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee at the time, were still heard.^[64]

Some felt that Webb's commentary on women serving in the military (e.g., his article "Women Can't Fight"^[29]) was a strong consideration as to his possible candidacy. His selection would have closely followed the somewhat divisive Democratic primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton, whose candidacy had received strong support from organized feminism, and who would have been the first female major party nominee for the presidency, had she won the nomination. This situation may have made the prospect of Webb as Obama's running mate entirely politically untenable, as it could have caused many Democratic Clinton supporters to balk at switching allegiance to Obama.^[68]

On July, 7, Webb effectively removed himself as a possible candidate for Vice President in a statement made to Time, stating that he intended to serve his term in the Senate and that "under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President.”^[69] Obama went on to choose fellow senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

As an author[link]

Books[link]

Webb's successful first novel, Fields of Fire (1978), drawn from personal experience, tells the story of a platoon of United States Marines in late 1960s Vietnam. Reviewers hailed its descriptions of infantry life and combat.^[70]

After five more novels, he wrote a work of nonfiction, Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America, tracing the role people of Scots-Irish ancestry have played in American history and culture. Webb argues that, contrary to the "cracker" and "redneck" stereotypes often applied to the Scots-Irish, many of whom settled in Appalachia, the American Midwest and the American South, the Scots-Irish were central to defining American working class values and culture. He lauds the fiercely independent streak and individualism of the Scots-Irish, and explains how their political pragmatism has often led them to play the role of swing voters in elections, for example as Reagan Democrats, and as voters for Ross Perot and Reform Party. Critics complain that errors in this book include incorrect time frames, omissions, misinterpretations (such as viewing the American Civil War as a continuation of the centuries-old Celtic-Saxon conflict), and bias stemming from Webb's feelings of persecution as a veteran of the Vietnam War.^[71]

Works[link]

• Fields of Fire (1978) ISBN 0-553-58385-9
• A Sense of Honor (1981) ISBN 1-55750-917-4
• A Country Such as This (1983) ISBN 1-55750-964-6
• Something to Die For (1992) ISBN 0-380-71322-5
• The Emperor's General (1999) ISBN 0-553-57854-5
• Lost Soldiers (2002) ISBN 0-440-24091-3
• Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America (2004) ISBN 0-7679-1688-3
• A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America (2008) ISBN 0-7679-2835-0

Movies[link]

Webb wrote the story and was the executive producer for the 2000 movie Rules of Engagement, which starred Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.

Warner Brothers acquired Webb's script for Whiskey River.^[72] The script concerns an American soldier who is injured in Iraq and returns to the United States. Before completing rehabilitation, he is called back to active duty. His father, in an attempt to save his son's life, kidnaps him.^[72]

In October 2006, while commenting on the need to break away from stereotypical movie villains, Webb stated, "[e]very movie needs a villain. Towel-heads and rednecks—of which I am one... became the easy villains in so many movies out there."^[73]

Articles[link]

Webb has authored a number of articles in various journals and newspapers, including the Marine Corps Gazette, Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.^[74]

On November 15, 2006, The Wall Street Journal published an article by Webb entitled "Class Struggle." Webb argued that the government must "confront the growing unfairness in this age of globalization." He also stated that the "elites" ignore the average American, and that they believe that "certain immigrant groups have the 'right genetics' and thus are natural entrants to the 'overclass,' while others, as well as those who come from stock that has been here for 200 years and have not made it to the top, simply don't possess the necessary attributes." Conservative columnist Jim Glassman has insinuated that this comment was anti-Semitic.^[75]

Election history[link]

Webb first won election to the senate in 2006, defeating incumbent George Allen.^[76] George Allen has announced he will run for the Senate in 2012 for his old Senate seat.^[77]

See also[link]

• United States Senate election in Virginia, 2006