James A. Winnefeld, Jr.
| James Winnefeld | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | James Alexander Winnefeld Jr. |
| Born |
April 24, 1956 Coronado, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1978–2015 |
| Rank |
 Admiral
|
| Commands held |
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Northern Command North American Aerospace Defense Command U.S. Sixth Fleet Carrier Strike Group Two USS Enterprise (CVN-65) USS Cleveland (LPD-7) VFA-211 |
| Battles/wars |
Operation Desert Shield Gulf War War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Iraq War |
| Awards |
Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Cross (Canada) |
James Alexander "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr. (born April 24, 1956) is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 4, 2011 to July 31, 2015. He previously served as the fourth Commander, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the 21st Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) from May 19, 2010 to August 3, 2011. Prior to that, Winnefeld served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, The Joint Staff which he concurrently served as the Senior Member, U.S. Delegation to the U.N. Military Staff Committee. His other operational commands include serving as the Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet and Commander, Allied Joint Command Lisbon. As the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Winnefeld was the second highest-ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces, second only to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2015, he retired from the Navy after over 37 years of service.
Winnefeld graduated from Georgia Tech in 1978 with high honors in Aerospace Engineering and received his commission via the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program. While at Georgia Tech, Winnefield was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. After designation as a naval aviator, he served with two fighter squadrons and as an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). While an instructor at TOPGUN, he worked with crew from Paramount Pictures on the production of the movie Top Gun. Winnefeld went on to graduate with the highest distinction from the U.S. Naval War College off-campus program. He is a recipient of the Admiral William J. Crowe Award as Joint Staff Action Officer of the Year and the Vice Admiral William W. Behrens Jr. award as the honor graduate of his Navy nuclear power school class.
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