James L. Jones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| James Logan Jones, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born December 19, 1943 | |
 NATO SACEUR & COMUSEUCOM (2003-2006) |
|
| Place of birth | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1967-2007 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | 3rd Battalion 9th Marines 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit 2nd Marine Division Commandant of the Marine Corps Supreme Allied Commander, Europe |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3) Silver Star Legion of Merit (5) Bronze Star French Légion d'honneur French Ordre national du Mérite Canadien Meritorious Service Cross NATO Meritorious Service Medal |
General James Logan Jones, Jr., USMC, (born December 19, 1943) is the former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) (2003-2006) and the Commander of the United States European Command (COMUSEUCOM) (2003-2006); and served as the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps (July 1999-January 2003). Jones retired from the United States Marine Corps on February 1, 2007 after 40 years of service.[1]
In 2007, Jones served as Chairman of the Congressional Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, which investigated the capabilities of the Iraqi police and armed forces. In November 2007, he was appointed by the Secretary of State as special envoy for Middle East Security.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Jones was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Having spent his formative years in France, he returned to the United States to attend the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1966. He played on the basketball team, while at Georgetown. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1967.
[edit] Military career
[edit] Early career
Upon completion of The Basic School in October 1967, he was ordered to the Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a Platoon and Company Commander with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. While overseas, he was promoted to First Lieutenant in June 1968.
Returning to the United States in December 1968, Jones was assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as a Company Commander until May 1970. He then received orders to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., for duties as a Company Commander, serving in this assignment until July 1973. He was promoted to Captain in December 1970. From July 1973 until June 1974, he was a student at the Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, Virginia.
In November 1974, he received orders to report to the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa, where he served as the Company Commander of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, until December 1975.
From January 1976 to August 1979, Jones served in the Officer Assignments Section at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.. During this assignment, he was promoted to Major in July 1977. Remaining in Washington, his next assignment was as the Marine Corps Liaison Officer to the United States Senate, where he served until July 1984. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in September 1982.
[edit] Senior staff and command
He was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C.. Following graduation in June 1985, he was assigned to command the 3rd Battalion 9th Marines,1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California, from July 1985 to July 1987.
In August 1987, Jones returned to Headquarters Marine Corps, where he served as Senior Aide to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He was promoted to Colonel in April 1988, and became the Military Secretary to the Commandant in February 1989. During August 1990, Jones was assigned as the Commanding Officer, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. During his tour with the 24th MEU, he participated in Operation Provide Comfort in Northern Iraq and Turkey. He was advanced to Brigadier General on April 23, 1992. General Jones was assigned to duties as Deputy Director, J-3, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, on July 15, 1992. During this tour of duty, he was reassigned as Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force "Provide Promise", for operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republic of Macedonia.
Returning to the United States, he was advanced to the rank of Major General in July 1994, and was assigned as Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Forces Atlantic, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. General Jones next served as Director, Expeditionary Warfare Division (N85), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, during 1996, then as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.. He was advanced to Lieutenant General on July 18, 1996. His next assignment was as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
[edit] Commandant
On April 21, 1999, he was nominated for appointment to the grade of General and assignment as the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps. He was promoted to General on June 30, 1999, and assumed the post on July 1, 1999. He served as Commandant until January 2003.
Among other innovations during his career as Marine Corps Commandant, General Jones oversaw the Marine Corps's development of MARPAT camouflage uniforms, and the adoption of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. These replaced the woodland uniforms, and the LINE system, respectively.
[edit] SACEUR/EUCOM
General Jones assumed duties as the Commander of U.S. European Command on January 16, 2003 and Supreme Allied Commander Europe on January 17, 2003. He is the first Marine Corps general to serve as SACEUR/EUCOM commander.
The Marine Corps had only recently begun to take on a larger share of high-level assignments in the Department of Defense. General Jones was one of five serving Marine Corps four-star general officers who outranked the current Commandant of the Marine Corps (General James T. Conway) in terms of seniority and time-in-grade — the others being Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace; former Commandant Michael Hagee, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command James E. Cartwright, and Assistant Commandant Robert Magnus.[1]
As SACEUR, Jones led the Allied Command Operations (ACO), comprising NATO’s military forces in Europe, from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium, General Jones relinquished command as SACEUR on December 7, 2006, and was succeeded by United States Army General John Craddock.[2]
General Jones was reported to have declined an opportunity to succeed General John P. Abizaid as Commander of U.S. Central Command, and stepped down as SACEUR on December 4, 2006 and retired from the U.S. Marine Corps on February 1, 2007.[2]
[edit] Decorations
[edit] U.S. decorations
General Jones' personal decorations include:
  |
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters |
 |
Silver Star |
  |
Legion of Merit with four gold stars |
  |
Bronze Star with Combat "V" |
 |
Combat Action Ribbon |
[edit] Foreign decorations
In January 2007, Jones was awarded Canada's Meritorious Service Cross by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.[3]
Decorations include but not limited to:
- French Légion d'honneur
- French Ordre national du Mérite
- Canadian Meritorious Service Cross (Military Division); Post-nominal: M.S.C.[4]
- Estonian Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class 1 (Estonian: Kotkaristi I Klassi Teenetemärk) [1]
- Vietnam Gallantry Cross Regiment Citation with Bronze Star
- Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, Grand Cross of Commander[5]
- Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm
- Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation with Palm
- NATO Meritorious Service Medal
- Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 date bar
- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
[edit] Post-military career
[edit] Business roles
Following his retirement from the military, General Jones became president of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce[6] and chair of the board of directors of the Atlantic Council of the United States.[7]
He also served as chair of the Independent Commission on Security Forces of Iraq, sponsored by the Atlantic Council of the United States.[8] The Commission's report begins with the words: "Make no mistake, NATO is not winning in Afghanistan."[9]
General Jones joined the Board of Directors of the Boeing Corporation on June 21, 2007. He serves on the company's Audit and Finance Committees. [10]
In March 2008, General Jones was nominated to the board of directors of Chevron Corporation. The vote on his nomination will occur at the May 28 annual stockholder's meeting.[11]
[edit] Diplomatic roles
Jones was asked twice by Condoleezza Rice to be Deputy Secretary of State after the resignation of Robert Zoelick. He declined.[12]
On May 25, 2007, Congress created an Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq to investigate for 120 days the capabilities of the Iraq armed forces and police.[13] General Jones served as Chairman of that Commission and reported on Congress on September 6, 2007[14] noting serious deficiencies in the Iraq Interior Ministry and in the Iraq National Police.
On November 28, 2007, the Secretary of State appointed Jones as a special envoy for Middle East Security. He works with Israelis and Palestinians to strengthen security for both sides.[15][16]
[edit] Political speculation
MSNBC's First Read is reporting that Gen. Jones is amongst those being discussed with Senators and Representatives by the vetting team of Senator Barack Obama as a possible Vice Presidential candidate. Chuck Todd reported on June 10 that, "So you think you know who's on Obama's veep short list? Well, think again. According to sources on the Hill, Obama veep vetters -- specifically Jim Johnson and Eric Holder -- have been asking Dem members of Congress this week their input about potential running mates. The conversations are free-flowing but one name the vetters are inserting in the conversations is one that is not a household name... Ret. Gen. James Jones, the former Marine-turned-NATO Supreme Allied Commander."
"Jones, a Vietnam vet born in Kansas City, MO (swing state alert!), was a career military officer rising to one of the highest posts possible. Now retired, Jones has been critical of the number of troops currently in Afghanistan. He's been appointed to independent posts by both the Democratic Congress and the Republican-run State Department."
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Public Directory of: U.S. Marine Corps General Officers & Senior Executives (6 December 2006), Senior Leader Management Branch (MMSL), Manpower & Reserve Affairs, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on December 6, 2006. MS Word document.
- ^ a b General JOHN CRADDOCK will be the new Commander. SHAPE News. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), NATO (4 December 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
- ^ Office of the Governor General of Canada, Press Release, February 6, 2007 - "Governor General announces the awarding of Military Valour Decorations, Meritorious Service Decorations and a Mention in Dispatches"
- ^ Governor General announces the awarding of Military Valour Decorations, Meritorious Service Decorations and a Mention in Dispatches
- ^ President of the Republic of Lithuania. State Decorations
- ^ Institute for 21st Century Energy - Official site
- ^ Atlantic Council of the United States, Press Release, May 18, 2007, General James L. Jones USMC (ret.) Elected Chairman of The Atlantic Council Board of Directors
- ^ Remarks by General (ret.) James L. Jones at the Atlantic Council of the United Sates, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
- ^ Saving Afghanistan: An Appeal and Plan for Urgent Action - Issue Brief. International Security Program of the Atlantic Council of the United States, January 2008
- ^ Definitive Notice and Proxy Statement
- ^ Brown, Steven E.F.. "Former USMC Commandant Jones nominated to Chevron board", San Francisco Business Times, Biz Journals, March 26, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ Potential Deputies to Rice: No Thanks. Wall Street Journal (November 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
- ^ P.L. 110-28 § 1314(e)(2).
- ^ http://www.c-span.org/pdf/jonesreport090607.pdf Retrieved 2007-09-20.
- ^ Secretary Condoleezza Rice (November 28, 2007). Announcement of General James Jones as Special Envoy for Middle East Security. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
- ^ Zacharia, Janine (November 28, 2008). Former NATO Commander Jones Named U.S. Mideast Envoy. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
[edit] References
- Official Biography for James L. Jones, General Officer Biographies, United States Marine Corps. Accessed on 2006-07-11.
- SACEUR General James L. Jones, SHAPE Biographies, Allied Command Operations, NATO. Accessed on 2006-07-11.
- David Ignatius. "The Defense Secretary We Had, Tough — and Unaccountable", Washington Post, November 9, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-18. (Jones withdraws from consideration for CENTCOM)
[edit] External links
- Mission of SACEUR. SHAPE Information. NATO. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
| Preceded by Gen. Charles C. Krulak |
Commandant of the United States Marine Corps 1999—2003 |
Succeeded by Gen. Michael W. Hagee |
| Preceded by Gen. Joseph Ralston |
Supreme Allied Commander Europe (NATO) 2003–2006 |
Succeeded by Gen. John Craddock |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
