Thomas L. James

This article is about the U.S. Army general. For others of the same name, see Thomas James.
Thomas L. James
Official portrait, 2024
Bornc. 1968 (age 57–58)
Petal, Mississippi, U.S.[1]
AllegianceUnited States
BranchUnited States Army
Service years1983–2025
RankLieutenant General
CommandsCombined Joint Task Force–Space Operations (acting)
Joint Task Force–Space Defense
1st Space Brigade
1st Space Battalion
B Company, 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Aviation Brigade
ConflictsGulf War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (2)

Thomas L. James (c. 1968) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the deputy commander of the United States Space Command. He previously served as the acting commander of Combined Joint Task Force–Space Operations. He is the first Army space operations officer to reach the rank of major general.

Military career

James first enlisted in the Mississippi National Guard in 1983, where he was assigned in medical and special forces units. After obtaining a degree, he was commissioned into the United States Army in 1990 as an army aviator.[2]

On 15 July 2014, James took command of the 1st Space Brigade.[3] After this command tour, he was assigned as the director of space policy implementation of Office of the Under Secretary for Policy.[2]

James served as deputy commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space. While in this position, he was promoted to brigadier general on 14 November 2017.[4][5] After a 2017 reorganization, he then served as the director of operations, plans, and exercises of the Joint Force Space Component Command.[6]

With the creation of the United States Space Command in August 2019, James became the director of operations while dual-hatted as the first commander of the newly established Joint Task Force–Space Defense (JTF-SD).[7] After almost two years, he was nominated for promotion to major general.[8] In 2021, he released his vision for the unit.[9] He got promoted on 29 July 2021, making him the first Army space operations officer to achieve the rank of major general.[10]

James relinquished command of JTF-SD on 4 November 2022.[11] He thereafter was assigned as deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Space Operations, a planned subordinate command of U.S. Space Command.[2]

In July 2023, James was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general with assignment as the deputy commander of United States Space Command.[12][13]

Dates of promotion

Rank Date[6]
Brigadier general 2 November 2017
Major general 29 July 2021
Lieutenant general 5 December 2023

References

  1. ^ "Promotion Ceremony of Thomas L. James to Lieutenant General". Archived from the original on 4 March 2025. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Brigadier General Thomas L. James". www.schriever.spaceforce.mil. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  3. ^ "1st Space Brigade welcomes new commander". www.army.mil. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  4. ^ "A star, more than 30 years in the making". 24 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Brig. Gen. Thomas James Promotion". DVIDS. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Major General Thomas L. James (USA)". GOMO. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Formal Recognition of Joint Task Force-Space Defense Expands US Space Command's Protect and Defend Mission". Schriever Air Force Base. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  8. ^ "PN815 — Army, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". U.S. Congress. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Commander Releases JTF-SD Vision". Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  10. ^ "JTF-SD commander named Army's first Space Operations 2-star". Archived from the original on 12 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  11. ^ "JTF-SD welcomes its second commander". Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  12. ^ "PN820 — Maj. Gen. Thomas L. James — Army, 118th Congress (2023-2024)". U.S. Congress. 11 July 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  13. ^ Senate Session, Part 3. C-SPAN (video). 26 July 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2023.


allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_L._James