General Peay was born in Richmond, Virginia on 10 May 1940. Upon graduation from the Virginia Military Institute in 1962, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He holds a Master of Arts from George Washington University and is also a graduate of the United States War College.

He assumed command of the 101st Airborne Division on 3 August 1989 and led the Division throughout Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM in the Persian Gulf. Promoted to Lieutenant General, he was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Department of the Army and Senior Army Member, United States Military Committee, United Nations and on 26 March 1993, he was promoted to the rank of General and appointed the 24th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. His last assignment was Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from 5 August 1994 to 13 August 1997, with responsibility for the region encompassing twenty countries of Africa, the Middle East, Persian Gulf and South Asia.

General Peay served as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of The Allied Defense Group starting in January 2001. In June 2003, he resigned as Chief Executive Officer and President to serve as Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He continues to serve as Chairman of the Board. He also serves as a Director of United Defense L.P., is a Trustee of the George C. Marshall Foundation, and the National Defense University.