flying hours in the T-33 Shooting Star, C-37, C-21, F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 600 combat hours in the F-4. During his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Myers often flew official aircraft such as the Gulfstream C-37A and C-37B by himself during official trips. According to his 2009 autobiography (Eyes on The Horizon: Serving on the Front Lines of National Security), "one of the pleasures he had as both Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was to be able to sometimes fly on his required travels and stay pilot-qualified." Commander and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff From November 1993 to June 1996, Myers was Commander of United States Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan and From July 1996 to July 1997 Myers served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. Myers received his fourth-star in 1997 when he was appointed as commander in chief of Pacific Air Forces. He commanded the Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, from July 1997 to July 1998. From August 1998 to February 2000, Myers was commander in chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Space Command; Commander of the Air Force Space Command; and Department of Defense manager of the space transportation system contingency support at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As commander, Myers was responsible for defending America through space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations. Following the appointment of General Joseph Ralston as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Myers was appointed by President Bill Clinton to succeed Ralston as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February 2000. He assumed his duties on February 29, 2000. As Vice Chairman, Myers served as the Chairman of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Vice Chairman of the Defense Acquisition Board, and as a member of the National Security Council Deputies Committee and the Nuclear Weapons Council. In addition, he acted for the chairman in all aspects of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System including participation in the Defense Resources Board. In August 2001, a year after assuming the role of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President George W. Bush appointed Myers to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs