James A. Winnefeld

James Winnefeld (2011)

James Alexander "Sandy" Winnefeld jr. (Born April 24, 1956 in Coronado , California ) is an American naval aviator and former admiral in the United States Navy (USN). Of 4 August 2011 to 31 July 2015 he was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Armed Forces (ger .: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , VJCS ).

Previously, he served from May 2010 as commander of the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM), a part contending powerful cross-regional command of the US armed forces based on the Peterson Air Force Base , Colorado Springs , and in personal union as commander of the also stationed there North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Education and career

Winnefeld joined the Navy in 1978 after studying aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology , where he also had a training program from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps . After completing flight training, he initially served in various squadrons , and in the 1980s as an instructor at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School .

Winnefeld received media attention as the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise when, in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, without consulting his superiors, he changed the planned course of his ship towards Cape Town by 180 ° and steered into the Arabian Sea , where he was on Had Afghanistan within range of the aircraft on board the morning after the attacks .

Service as flag officer

Winnefeld (right) with his wife Mary and US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta during the swearing-in as VJCS on August 4, 2011 at the Pentagon

In 2007 Winnefeld was appointed deputy commander of the US Naval Forces Europe and commander of the US 6th Fleet and promoted to vice admiral. The following year he served as Director, Strategic Plans and Policy at the United Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC

On December 23, 2009, US President Barack Obama nominated Winnefeld to succeed General Victor Renuart as Commander US Northern Command / North American Aerospace Defend Command; Winnefeld took up the post and was promoted to Admiral on May 19, 2010. A year later he was nominated for Vice Chairmanship of the United General Staff, which he finally assumed on August 4, 2011 and was confirmed for two more years after the end of his first term in 2013.

On July 31, 2015, Winnefeld handed the vice chairmanship of the United General Staff over to General Paul J. Selva ( USAF ) and retired .

Promotions

rank	date
Ensign	1978
Lieutenant Junior Grade	n / A
Lieutenant	n / A
Lieutenant Commander	n / A
Commander	n / A
Captain	n / A
Rear Admiral (lower half)	n / A
Rear Admiral (upper half)	n / A
Vice Admiral	2007
admiral	2010

Awards

Selection of decorations, sorted according to the medals and decorations of the armed forces of the United States :

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaves
• Navy Distinguished Service Medal
• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit with a gold star
• Bronze star
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Air Medal
• Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star
• Joint Service Achievement Medal
• Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal
• Joint Meritorious Unit Award with bronze oak leaves
• Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon with a bronze star
• Navy "E" ribbon

Trivia

During his time at Navy Fighter Weapons School , Winnefeld had an extra role (as Lt. James "Jaws" Winnefeld) in the 1986 film Top Gun , in which Tom Cruise plays a military pilot who works at that school completed a training program called Top Gun . The Navy accompanied the filming in an advisory capacity at the time; many of the extras appearing in the film were actually members of the Navy who were on duty at the respective locations.

See also

• Ranks of the United States Armed Forces
• List of active generals and admirals in the United States Armed Forces

Web links

Commons : James A. Winnefeld  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• United General Staff website

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Biography of Winnefeld at the USN (English; last accessed on March 29, 2014).
2. ↑ Press release of the Ministry of Defense of July 27, 2007 (last accessed on March 30, 2014).
3. ↑ Press release of the Ministry of Defense of July 22, 2008 (last accessed on March 30, 2014).
4. ↑ Press release of the Ministry of Defense of December 23, 2009 (last accessed on March 30, 2014).
5. ↑ Garamone, Jim : Winnefeld takes NORAD, NORTHCOM reins. American Forces Press Service, May 19, 2010 (last accessed March 30, 2014).
6. ↑ Sandza, Richard : Winnefeld picked for JCS vice chairman post. Navy Times of May 30, 2011 (English; last accessed on March 30, 2014).
7. ↑ Roulo, Claudette : Obama to nominate Dempsey, Winnefeld for second terms. American Forces Press Service, June 26, 2013 (last accessed March 30, 2014).
8. ^ Entry on Top Gun in the Internet Movie Database (English; last accessed on March 29, 2014).