BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES B. SMITH

 

 

Brigadier General James B. Smith serves as Commander, Joint Warfighting Center, and Director for Joint Training (J7), USJFCOM.  He is responsible for the management of the joint force exercise and training development program; the review, coordination, development, promulgation, and application of the joint doctrine program; and assists with the planning and execution of joint task force commander and staff integration training, and contingency planning.  

 

The general is a 1974 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He received a master's degree in history from Indiana University in 1975.   His aviation career includes 4000 hours in the F-15 and T-38 including combat sorties during Desert Storm.  He commanded the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron and the 325th Operations Group.  His staff tours include duty as an Action Officer at USAFE Headquarters and Executive Officer at Tactical Air Command.  His joint experience includes duty as the CSAF Chair at the National War College and Vice Director of Operations, North American Air Defense Command.   Prior to assuming his current position, the general served as the Commander, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan.  The wing provided support air operations to the Commander-in-Chief of Pacific Command through PACAF and 5th Air Force.  

 

EDUCATION:

 

1974 Bachelor's degree in military history, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

1975 Master's degree in history, Indiana University, Bloomington

1981 Distinguished graduate, Naval War College, by correspondence

1985 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

1992 Distinguished graduate, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

1996 Program for Senior Officials in National Security, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

1. February 1975 - February 1976, student pilot training, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas

2. February 1976 - September 1979, T-38 instructor pilot, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas

3. October 1979 - April 1980, student, F-15 training, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

4. May 1980 - March 1982, F-15 pilot, 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Camp New Amsterdam, Netherlands

5. March 1982 - June 1984, training division staff officer and later executive officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations,  Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany

6. June 1984 - December 1985, assistant operations officer, 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

7. December 1985 - June 1987, chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

8. June 1987 - November 1987, special assistant, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

9. November 1987 - August 1989, operations officer, 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

10. August 1989 - November 1990, commander, 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

11. November 1990 - August 1991, assistant deputy commander for operations, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Va., and 4404th Provisional Wing, Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia

12. August 1991 - June 1992, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

13. June 1992 - July 1994, chief of staff Air Force chair, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

14. July 1994 - August 1996, commander, 325th Operations Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

15. August 1996 - July 1998, vice director for operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

16. July 1998 - August 2000, commander, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan

17. August 2000 - November 2001, deputy commander, Joint Warfighting Center, United States Joint Forces Command,  Suffolk, Va.

18. November 2001 - Present, commander, Joint Warfighting Center, United States Joint Forces Command,  Suffolk, Va.

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

 

Rating: Command pilot

Flight hours: Approximately 4,000

Aircraft flown: T-38 and F-15

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

 

Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster

Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Rays (Japan)

Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster

Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star

 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

 

Second Lieutenant Jun 5, 1974

First Lieutenant Jun 5, 1976

Captain Jun 5, 1978

Major Oct 1, 1983

Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1987

Colonel Jan 1, 1992

Brigadier General Oct 1, 1998