General Montgomery C. Meigs

Montgomery C. Meigs – devoted husband, father, grandfather, American Soldier, teacher, mentor, and innovator - passed away in his home in Austin, Texas, on July 6, 2021, his 53rd wedding anniversary. He was surrounded by family, military keepsakes, treasured hunting trophies, and a wall of books, all symbols of his greatest passions.

He was born in Annapolis, Maryland on January 11, 1945, to Elizabeth Griggs Meigs a month after his father, LTC Montgomery C. Meigs, was killed in action near Rohrbach, France. His two retired naval officer grandfathers showered him with naval history and stories of ship and submarine warfare, and as the step-son of Ensign William K. Lampman he became a Navy junior at an early age. But he was tied by name to the Army, so that was the professional path he chose.

Monty, as he was known by his family and friends, graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1967, and following the basic armor officer course and ranger school, he headed to a squadron in Buedingen, Germany. This was the beginning of 18 years of service, spanning 4 decades, in the Federal Republic of Germany; arriving as a second lieutenant platoon leader and retiring as the four star Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe.

His assignments in Europe included troop commands in the 3/12 Cavalry and the 1/1 Cavalry, squadron command of the 1/1 Cavalry, and brigade command of the second brigade, First Armored Division. Later on, he served as Commanding General of the Seventh Army Training Command and the Third Infantry Division (reflagged as the First Infantry Division during his tenure). Monty patrolled the border during the cold war, facilitated partnership for peace exercises in the nineties, and commanded NATO forces twice in Bosnia-Herzegovina. At that time, U.S. Army Europe and MITRE Corporation developed Blue Force Tracker. This system provided commanders with a real time picture of where their units were on the battlefield, and was but one of the new technologies and innovations he employed to improve war fighting capabilities and soldier survivability.

In addition to his troop experience in Germany, Monty served a tour in the Republic of Vietnam as a 3/5 Cavalry troop commander. He also led his Germany-based Iron brigade in the first Gulf War, where they fought the largest tank battle since World War II.

Back in the U.S. he was afforded numerous opportunities to pursue academic interests. While at the National War College he wrote his book, Slide Rules and Submarines: American Scientists and Subsurface Warfare in World War II, which would become the intellectual foundation of the future counter IED fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the University of Wisconsin-Madison he received an MA and Ph.D. in history. He taught at West Point and spent a year at MIT as a Council on Foreign Relations Fellow. At Fort Leavenworth he commanded the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and was Commandant of the Command and General Staff College. During that time, he oversaw the revision of the Staff College’s leadership curriculum and the Army’s leadership manual.

GEN Meigs retired on January 1, 2003, and promptly began his second career as a professor of national security studies. From the LBJ School at U.T. Austin and the George Bush School at Texas A&M, to the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, he taught and mentored future leaders in our country’s security apparatus. Along-side his teaching, Monty relished his “gigs” with NBC and MSNBC as a military analyst. It was an extension of his teaching, as he reached out to the general public to explain what was happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, Monty was a devoted member of the Board of Trustees of the MITRE Corporation for over ten years.

Four years after his military retirement Monty was called back to the Pentagon, to lead a critical DOD effort to counter the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He began the critical work on the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) to provide intelligence, engineering expertise, and countermeasures to help military units break up the systems of networks that funded, manufactured, deployed and employed the IEDs. JIEDDO still exists today as JIDO, and has expanded to include other threats like unmanned aerial devices.

Monty’s long career of service to the Nation culminated as CEO of Business Executives for National Security, a unique nonprofit comprised of senior business leaders who recommend and apply best practices to address the nation’s pressing security challenges.

During these many adventures Monty was supported by his loving family: his spouse, Mary Ann Mellenbruch Meigs, and sons William and Matthew Meigs, and daughter-in-law Sarah Meigs. His grandchildren Elena, James and Thomas Meigs brought him great joy as he followed them over the years in their athletic and academic pursuits.

Decorations include the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Bronze Star with “V” Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart. Foreign awards include Officier de le Legion d’Honneur and Das Grosse Verdienst Kreuz mit Stern.

A funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery will take place at a later date. Please visit dig-nitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/montgomery-meigs-10258622 to leave condolences and memories of General Meigs.