James Logan Jones, Jr.
General, U.S. Marine Corps

James Logan Jones Jr. was born on 19 December 1943 in Kansas City, MO. He is the son of James L. Jones, Sr., a decorated Marine in World War II who was a Captain in the Observer Group and the Commanding Officer of its successor, the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion. Having spent his formative years in France, where he attended the American School of Paris, Jones Jr. returned to the U.S. to attend the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1966. Jones, who is six feet four inches tall, played forward on the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team. Jones was a member of the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at Georgetown and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1967.

Military Career

Upon completion of The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, 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 U.S. in December 1968, Jones was assigned to Marine Corps Base 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. While at this post, in December 1970 he was promoted to Captain. From July 1973 until June 1974, he was a student at the Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps University, MCB Quantico.

In November 1974, he received orders to report to the 3rd Marine Division at MCB Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan, where he served as the 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. 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 U.S. Senate, where he served until July 1984. In this assignment, his first commander was John McCain, then a U.S. Navy Captain. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in September 1982

Senior Staff and Command

He was selected to attend the National War College in Washington. Following graduation in June 1985, he was assigned to Command the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, from July 1985 to July 1987.

In August 1987, Jones returned to Headquarters Marine Corps, where he served as Senior Aide-de-Camp to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He was promoted to Colonel in April 1988, and became the Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps in February 1989. During August 1990, Jones was assigned as the Commanding Officer of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) at Marine Corps Base 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 23 April 1992. Jones was assigned to duties as Deputy Director, J-3, U.S European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, on 15 July 1992. During this tour of duty, he was reassigned as Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force Provide Promise, for Operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Macedonia.

Returning to the U.S., he was advanced to the rank of Major General in July 1994 and was assigned as Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Forces Atlantic, MCB Camp Lejeune. 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. He was advanced to Lieutenant General on 18 July 1996. His next assignment was as the Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

Commandant

On 21 April 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 30 June 1999, and assumed the post on 1 July 1999. He served as Commandant until January 2003, turning over the reins to General Michael Hagee.

Among other innovations during his career as Commandant, Jones oversaw the Marine Corps' development of MARPAT camouflage uniforms, and the adoption of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). These replaced M81 Woodland uniforms and the LINE combat system, respectively.

SACEUR/EUCOM

Jones assumed duties as the Commander of U.S. European Command on 16 January 2003, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe the following day. He was the first Marine Corps General to serve as Commander, SACEUR/EUCOM.

The Marine Corps had only recently begun to take on a larger share of high-level assignments in the Department of Defense. As of December 2006, 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.

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. Jones relinquished command as SACEUR on 7 December 2006, and was succeeded by U.S. Army General John Craddock.

Jones was reported to have declined an opportunity to succeed Gen. John P. Abizaid as Commander of U.S. Central Command when he stepped down as SACEUR.

General Jones retired from the Marine Corps on 1 February 2007.

Medals and Awards

Defense Distinguished Service Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Silver Star Medal
Legion of Merit w/ 4 Award Stars
Bronze Star Medal w/ Valor Device
Combat Action Ribbon
Navy Presidential Unit Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 3 Service Stars
National Defense Service Medal w/ 2 Service Stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal w/ 4 Service Stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 1 Service Star
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 7 Service Stars
Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon w/ 1 Service Star
NATO Meritorious Service Medal
Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Bronze Star
Legion of Honor, Commander
National Order of Merit, Officer
Meritorious Service Cross, Post-Nominal: M.S.C.
Military Order of Italy, Commander
Order of the Cross of the Eagle, 1st Class
Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, Commander's Grand Cross
Military Order of Aviz, Grand Cross
Grand Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
NATO Medal for Yugoslavia
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Badges

Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

In Retirement

Business

Following his retirement from the military, Jones became president of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; served as chair of the board of directors of the Atlantic Council of the U.S. from June 2007until January 2009 when he assumed the post of National Security Advisor. He also served as a member of the guiding coalition for the Project on National Security Reform, as well as chairman of the Independent Commission on Security Forces of Iraq.

Jones was a member of the Board of directors of the Boeing Company from 21 June 2007 to 15 December 2008, serving on the company's Audit and Finance Committees.

Jones was a member of the Board of directors of Cross Match Technologies, a privately held biometric solutions company, from October 2007 to January 2009.

Jones was a member of the Board of Trustees of Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a bipartisan think tank, from 2007-08, and then began serving again in 2011.

Jones was a member of the Board of directors of Chevron Corporation from 28 May 2008 to 5 December 2008, serving on the Board Nominating and Governance and Public Policy Committees.

According to the first report since he re-entered government service in January 2009, Jones earned salary and bonus of $900,000 from the U.S. Chamber, as well as director fees of $330,000 from the Boeing Company and $290,000 from Chevron Corporation.

After leaving the Obama administration, Jones returned as a Fellow at the U.S. Chamber in 2011.

Diplomatic

Then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked Jones twice to be Deputy Secretary of State after Robert Zoellick resigned. He declined.

On 25 May 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. Jones served as chairman of that commission and reported to Congress on 6 September 2007noting serious deficiencies in the Iraq Interior Ministry and in the Iraq National Police.

Rice appointed Jones as a special envoy for Middle East security on 28 November 2007, working with Israelis and Palestinians to strengthen security for both sides.

Jones serves as a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), where he works on a variety of national security and energy-related issues. Jones is also a co-chair of BPC's Energy Project.

National Security Advisor

On 1 December 2008 then-President-elect Obama announced Jones as his selection for National Security Advisor. The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The selection surprised people because, as Michael Crowley reported "The two men didn't meet until Obama's foreign policy aide, Mark Lippert, arranged a 2005 sit-down, and, as of this October, Jones had only spoken to Obama twice." Crowley speculated that Jones' record suggests he is "someone who, unencumbered by strong ideological leanings, can evaluate ideas dispassionately whether they come from left or right," and, "This is probably why Obama picked him." Jones was also picked because he is well respected and likely to possess the skills to navigate the other prestigious and powerful cabinet members. "He does not appear to be a natural antagonist of anyone else on the team. Though he doesn't know Gates especially well, both men share long experience in the national security establishment (Gates was in the Air Force and previously headed the CIA). Jones and Clinton have a more direct connection, having bonded - as Hillary did with many military officials - during her tenure on the Senate Armed Services Committee. The two are said to have particularly clicked at a 2005 conference on security policy in Munich. Jones hosted a small private dinner that included Clinton and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, among others; at the end of the convivial evening, according to one person present, Jones followed Clinton out to her car to visit in private."

Jones assumed the post when Obama was sworn into office on 20 January 2009. He announced his resignation as National Security Advisor on 8 October 2010 and was replaced by Thomas E. Donilon.

Personal

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen, who hired Jones as his military assistant, is quoted as saying Jones has a placid demeanor and a "methodical approach to problems - he's able to view issues at both the strategic and tactical level." While he was Commandant of the Marine Corps, Jones often signed e-mails as "Rifleman," because he served as an infantry officer.

Jones was also responsible for convincing country music artist Toby Keith that he should record and publish his popular concert hit Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American).