Interesting choice.
Posted on 11/21/2008 3:24:00 PM PST by mojito
Two sources close to the Obama transition team tell CNN retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones has emerged as President-elect's leading choice to become national security adviser in the White House.
The sources said Jones has been given the impression by the President-elect that the job is his if he wants it. But the officials said there are still private discussions underway and no final decision has been made.
The discussions are focused on precisely how much power Jones will have in the staff job since he is used to being in a command role. Among his many posts, Jones served for several years as the operational commander for NATO.
In the third and final presidential debate, Obama noted that he deeply values advice from Jones, who has four decades of military service.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
This seems to be the kind of pick that will make the nutroots even nuttier.
Interesting choice.
General James L. Jones attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and was commissioned into the Marine Corps in January 1967, served in Vietnam as a platoon and company commander and was promoted to First Lieutenant.
Upon returning to the U.S. he served as a company commander until July 1973 and attended the Amphibious Warfare School. From November 1974 he served as a company commander in Okinawa. From January 1976 he served at Headquarters Marine Corps and later as the Marine Corps liaison officer to the U.S. Senate.
In June 1985 he graduated from the National War College, and commanded the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 1st Marine Division, until July 1987 and then as Senior Aide to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, was promoted to Colonel and became the Military Secretary to the Commandant. Later, assigned as the Commanding Officer, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, he served in Northern Iraq and Turkey on Operation Provide Comfort.
Brigadier General Jones was assigned as Deputy Director, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany in July 1992, and later reassigned as Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force Provide Promise, for operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. He retuned to the U.S. as a Major General in July 1994, and was assigned as Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Forces Atlantic. General Jones next served as Director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, then as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps.
As Lieutenant General, he was assigned as the Military Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and as General became the 32nd Commandant of the United States Marine Corps in July 1999. In January 2003, General Jones became Commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).General Jones has a Batchelor of Science degree, and an Honorary Doctorate from Georgetown University. His personal decorations include: the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit with four gold stars, Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V", and the Combat Action Ribbon.
General James L. Jones, Jr. - Retired
32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps
General Jones spent his formative years in France(emphasis added), returning to the United States to attend the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, from which he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1966. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in January 1967. Upon completion of The Basic School, Quantico, VA, in October 1967, he was ordered to the Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a Platoon and Company Commander with Company G, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines. While overseas, he was promoted to First Lieutenant in June 1968.
Returning to the United States in December 1968, General Jones was assigned to Camp Pendleton, CA, where he served as a Company Commander until May 1970. He then received orders to Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, 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, VA.
In November 1974, he received orders to report to the 3d Marine Division on Okinawa, where he served as the Company Commander of Company H, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, until December 1975.
From January 1976 to August 1979, General Jones served in the Officer Assignments Section at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, DC. 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.
He was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, DC. Following graduation in June 1985, he was assigned to command the 3d Battalion, 9th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA, from July 1985 to July 1987.
In August 1987, General 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, General Jones was assigned as the Commanding Officer, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Lejeune, NC. 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 Macedonia.
Returning to the United States, he was advanced to the rank of Major General in July 1994, and was assigned as Commanding General, 2d Marine Division, Marine Forces Atlantic, Camp Lejeune, NC. 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, DC. He then was advanced to Lieutenant General on July 18, 1996.
His next assignment was as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He was promoted to General on June 30, 1999, and became the 32nd Commandant of the United States Marine Corps on July 1, 1999. General Jones assumed duties as the Commander of U.S. European Command on 16 January 2003, and Supreme Alled Commander Europe on 17 January 2003.
General Jones retired after 40 years of service to the Nation on 1 February 2007.
I am quite sure your resume is better than his. Am I right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L._Jones
As a vet who enlisted under Reagan and retired under Bush II I personally find it offense to see FReeper posts comparing Gen Jones to Jim Jones. Like the average American I can deliver and take a joke but I find it offensive on a level maybe not understood by non-vets to compare an American General to a mass murderer. In my world patriotism, duty and honor to country trumps partisanship every effin’ day. Congrats Gen Jones on your continued service to your country!
I couldn’t agree with you more.
LOL
His silver star and bronze star with combat V would state otherwise. I’d like to read the citations for myself though before I pass judgement simply measured by the salad on his chest..after all some of those others definitely can have a lot of politics wrapped around em.
Do you have any personal experience with Jones or are you just flapping your gums in an ignorant fashion based on what you read at Whackypedia?
With all due respect, and I'm not just saying this, as a vet I respect your position. Who are you to judge the authenticity of this General's valor? It still amazes me that folks who do not know or understand the the vetting/approval authority of military merit awards only question them when they don't fit their politics. The military doesn't work like that. There are no Clinton or Bush Generals/Admirals who only assume rank under one party affiliation or another. It takes years to groom a General or Admiral and they don't resign their commission if the opposing party holds office during their career. They salute and defend their country no matter who is in office.
I am willing to listen to what you have to show us. Has Jones done anything to betray his fellow servicemen,in terms of failing to protect them, or give them what they need? I know the Corps has some saavy political operatives, and they have to have them into days political environment. What has Jones done wrong?
If you have a factual grevience with Jones, I would love to hear about it.
My only concern about him is that he is a “European” general who has not spent a lot of time in the ME.
I was actually posting my remark to defend his resume from the castigating remarks that were made. Noting his valor awards as backup. People just don’t get silver stars for sucking up no matter who its for.
The rest of my missive was meant to be related to reviewing the totality of all of his citations... likely I could have worded that better.
As a vet, I have seen several awards handed out strictly through politics - not dem/rep politics - but suckups, brownnosers, and those who know when to keep their mouth shut even if they shouldn’t or things aren’t right. The Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters and Legion of Merit with four gold stars listed in his awards are the ones that I believe are most likely political in nature as they are very often more about doing the job and making the right people happy. The fact he has 4 Legions and 2 DDSs make it even more likely. The citations would make it more apparent whether he did anything actually deserving of the fruit salad or just put in time the way someone told him to.
Vetting process or not - the military does work like that - especially in the O corps. Though as I said the valor awards are still held to a higher standard... for the most part. Not questioning if their service is independent of or related to party affiliation - and no not all of them play the game. But if they don’t play it then it makes it darn near impossible to make it up the paygrade - especially since the instituted mandatory up or out in the O corps. The key is trust but verify.
oh, and....I’m very independent - I refuse to register with any party and vote only for the best candidate.
I really don't want to come off as a cheerleader, but here goes. The US military has supplied the world with the most adaptable, fighting force, second to none, the planet has ever witnessed. Yes we have "European" theaters of operations in addition to worldwide theaters. Our worldwide dominance does not diminish our worldwide effectiveness.
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