Jack A. James (born 1968) is a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. A veteran of the

and

New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximate ...

, in September 2024 he was promoted to major general and appointed to command the 42nd Infantry Division. James took part in

Operation Uphold Democracy Operation Uphold Democracy was a multinational military intervention designed to remove the military regime led and installed by Raoul Cédras after the 1991 Haitian coup d'état overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The op ...

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

, and Stabilization Force (SFOR) duties in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

, in addition to taking part in

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

. His awards and decorations include the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

with

oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: Singapore *Pingat Jasa Gemilang, or Meritorious Services Me ...

with four oak leaf clusters,

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issu ...

with four oak leaf clusters, and

Army Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to rece ...

with oak leaf cluster. A native of

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

at West Point in 1992 with a

bachelor of science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in foreign affairs. After becoming qualified as an army

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

in 1993, he served on active duty in Hawaii and Colorado and advanced from second lieutenant to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. During his time on active duty, James served in

during

and

as part of the Stabilization Force (SFOR). After leaving the regular army in 2001, he became a member of the

while pursuing a civilian career as an executive with the

New York Life Insurance Company New York Life Insurance Company (NYLIC) is the third-largest life insurance company and the largest mutual insurance, mutual life insurance company in the United States, and is ranked #69 on the 2025 Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporat ...

. In 2003, he received a

master of business administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

degree from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. In the National Guard, James served in command and staff assignments including commander of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion in Kuwait during

. In 2015, he graduated from the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

with a

master of science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

degree in strategic studies. He was promoted to brigadier general in 2019, and served as New York's assistant adjutant general for army while also commanding the

53rd Troop Command The 53rd Troop Command is an administrative headquarters of the New York Army National Guard that provides direction for units not under another brigade or other formation headquarters (HQ). It also provides administrative support to units from ot ...

. He served as the 42nd Infantry Division's assistant division commander for maneuver from 2021 to 2023, and again commanded the 53rd Troop Command from 2023 to 2024. In September 2024, he was appointed to command the 42nd Infantry Division and received promotion to major general.

Early life

Jack Alan James was born in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Wayne Valley High School Wayne Valley High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school, in Wayne, in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school serves students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of the two secondary schools of the Wayn ...

in 1987. In 1988, he began attendance at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

(West Point). He graduated in 1992 with a

bachelor of science degree A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

in foreign affairs and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Aviation Branch.

Start of career

After receiving his commission, James attended the Aviation Officer Basic Course at

Fort Rucker Fort Rucker is a United States Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. It was previously nam ...

, Alabama from June 1992 to July 1993. From June 1993 to October 1994, he was assigned as executive officer, of Company C, 2nd Aviation Regiment at

Camp Stanley Camp Stanley is a former U.S. Army military camp located just east of the city of Uijeongbu, South Korea. The camp is part of the Red Cloud Garrison which is composed of Army installations near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Camp Stanley ...

, South Korea. In October 1994, he was assigned as assistant plans, operations and training officer (Assistant S-3) for 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at

Wheeler Army Airfield Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National H ...

, Hawaii, where he remained until April 1995, including deployment to

for

. From April 1995 to September 1996, he was a platoon leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment. He next served as logistics staff officer (S-4) for 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, a position he held from September 1996 to July 1997. James returned to Fort Rucker in July 1997 to attend the Aviation Officer Advanced Course. After his May 1998 graduation, he remained at Fort Rucker as a student in the AH-64 helicopter Qualification Course. After graduating in August 1998, he was assigned to the

3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment The 3rd Cavalry Regiment, formerly 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Brave Rifles") is a regiment of the United States Army currently stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas. The regiment has a history in the United States Army that dates back to 19 M ...

Fort Carson Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso, Pueblo County, Colorado, Pueblo, Fremont County, Colorado, Fremont, and Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano counties, Color ...

, Colorado, where he served as the 4th Squadron's assistant S-3. In 1998, James also graduated from the

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

's Combined Arms and Services Staff School at

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

, Kansas. From October 1999 to October 2001, he commanded Troop R, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, including deployment to

for Stabilization Force (SFOR) duties. James then left the regular army, and his break in service lasted until June 2002, when he joined the

Continued career

From June 2002 to March 2003, James served as Intelligence and Operations staff officer (S-2/3) for the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. In 2003, he graduated from

with a

degree in finance and management. James served as executive officer of 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment in Latham from April 2003 to March 2007. In 2005, he completed the

course. James served on temporary active duty during the National Guard's 2005 response to

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

. While serving in the National Guard, he pursued a civilian career in business and finance, and became a vice president of the

. From April 2007 to November 2011, he served as S-3 of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade in Latham. In 2008, he graduated from the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University (United States Air Force), Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, ...

course. He next assumed command of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion in Rochester, which he led from November 2011 to November 2014, including temporary active duty during the National Guard's 2012 response to

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

, as well as deployment to Kuwait for

. James commanded the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade in Latham from November 2014 to June 2019. In 2015, he graduated from the

as a Distinguished Graduate with a

degree in strategic studies.

Career as general officer

In 2019, James was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as the New York National Guard's assistant adjutant general for army and commander of the

in Cortland Manor. From October 2021 to November 2023, he was assistant division commander for maneuver at the 42nd Infantry Division headquarters in

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

. In December 2023, he was again assigned as assistant adjutant general and commander of the 53rd Troop Command. In September 2024, James was promoted to major general and assigned to command the 42nd Infantry Division. The division held a formal change of command ceremony at

Fort Indiantown Gap Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and National Guard Training Center primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. A portion of the installation is located in eastern ...

, Pennsylvania in mid-November. The courses James completed after becoming a general officer include the Joint Task Force Commanders Course (2021), Dual Status Commander's Course (2022), and Senior Leader Development Seminar (Army Strategic Education Program Basic SEP-B (2022). He is a master aviator, and is qualified on the

AH-64A The Hughes/McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64 Apache ( ) is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. Nose-mounted sensors help target acquisition, acquire targets an ...

, AH-1F, UH-60A/L,

UH-1H The Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, first introduced in 1959, is the first production member of Bell Helicopter's prolific Huey family of helicopters, and was itself developed in over twenty variants, which are listed below. XH-40 and Y ...

, and

UH-72 The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) UH-72 Lakota is a twin-engine helicopter with a single, four-bladed main rotor. The UH-72 is a militarized version of the Eurocopter EC145, built by American Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters, Inc.), a ...

aircraft. James is a resident of

Palm Harbor, Florida Palm Harbor is a census-designated place (CDP) and Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 61,366. Culture Palm Harbor is located north of down ...

. He is a

German language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...

speaker, and his professional memberships include the Army Aviation Association of America, Military Association of New York,

Association of the United States Army The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the professional association of the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 121 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not ju ...

, and Rainbow Division Veterans Foundation. James is a recipient of the Army Aviation Association's Order of Saint Michael (Silver).

Effective dates of promotion

James' effective dates of promotion are: * Major General, 1 September 2024 * Brigadier General, 10 June 2019 *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

, 12 May 2015 * Lieutenant Colonel, 1 April 2008 *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

, 2 October 2003 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, 1 June 1996 *

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

, 30 May 1994 * Second Lieutenant, 30 May 1992

Awards

James' awards include: *

with 1 Bronze

with 4 Bronze oak leaf clusters *

with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster *

Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal A Reserve Good Conduct Medal refers to any one of the five military conduct awards, four of which are currently issued and one of which was previously issued, by the United States Armed Forces to members of the Reserve and National Guard. The pr ...

with 4 Bronze oak leaf clusters *

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...

with Bronze

service star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, a ...

with Bronze service star *

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) is a United States Armed Forces award created by George W. Bush on 12 March 2003, through Executive Order 13289. The medal recognizes those military service members who have deployed over ...

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created through Executive Order 13289 on 12 March 2003, by President George W. Bush. The medal recognizes those military service ...

Korean Defense Service Medal The Korea Defense Service Medal (KDSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces that was first created in 2002 when it was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The bill to create the proposal was introduced and champ ...

Humanitarian Service Medal The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under . The medal may be awarded to members of the United States military (incl ...

with Bronze service star *

Armed Forces Reserve Medal The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1958. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve com ...

with Bronze hourglass and "M" device *

Army Service Ribbon The Army Service Ribbon (ASR) is a military award of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990. The Navy, Marine Corps, ...

Army Overseas Service Ribbon An Overseas Service Ribbon is a service military award of the United States military which recognizes those service members who have performed military tours outside the borders of the United States of America. There are different versions of the ...

with Numeral "3" * Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon * North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal * New York State Long and Faithful Service Medal with 2 Silver Shields *New York State Conspicuous Service Cross *Humane Service to New York State Medal *Louisiana Emergency Service Medal *Mississippi Emergency Service Medal * Master Army Aviator Badge * Parachutist Badge *

Air Assault Badge The Air Assault Badge, U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, dated 18 January 1978, last accessed 16 October 2020 is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the United States Army Air Assault School, Air Assault School. The course includes ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Jack A. Jr. 1968 births Living people People from Wayne, New Jersey Military personnel from Passaic County, New Jersey People from Palm Harbor, Florida Wayne Valley High School alumni United States Military Academy alumni New York University Stern School of Business alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Air War College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army generals United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Recipients of the Legion of Merit