John Boyd (military strategist)

John Boyd
Nickname(s)	Forty Second Boyd Genghis John The Mad Major The Ghetto Colonel
Born	(1927-01-23)January 23, 1927 Erie, Pennsylvania, US
Died	March 9, 1997(1997-03-09) (aged 70) West Palm Beach, Florida, US
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1945–1975
Rank	Colonel
Commands	Task Force Alpha 56th Combat Support Group
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Legion of Merit (4) Air Medal (3) Harold Brown Award
Alma mater	University of Iowa Georgia Institute of Technology
Other work	Energy–Maneuverability theory OODA loop Military strategy

John Richard Boyd (January 23, 1927 – March 9, 1997) was a United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant during the second half of the 20th century. His theories have been highly influential in military, business, and litigation strategies and planning.

As part of the Fighter Mafia, Boyd inspired the Lightweight Fighter program (LWF), which produced the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and preceded McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. Boyd, together with Thomas Christie, created the Energy–Maneuverability theory of aerial combat, which became the world standard for the design of fighter aircraft. He also developed the decision cycle known as the OODA loop, the process by which an entity reacts to an event.