James N. Stewart
American retired air force general and government official
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James N. Stewart is a retired American military officer and civil servant. Confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Donald Trump's first presidency, he served throughout his tenure from 2018 as acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs before resigning in 2019.
Jimmy Stewart | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2018 | |
| Acting United States Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness | |
| In office October 22, 2018 – December 13, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Stephanie Barna (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Donovan |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs | |
| In office October 22, 2018 – December 13, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Todd A. Weiler |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Keohane (2024) |
| Personal details | |
| Education | |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
Years of service |
|
| Rank | Major general |
| Awards | |
Early life and education
Stewart was born the son of a retired air force lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran, and, from a young age, he desired to follow in his father's footsteps.[1][2] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology and criminology from Auburn University, where he was also a member of the school's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.[3]
Military career
Stewart was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1977 and left active duty in 1992. He continued his military career as a member of the Air Force Reserve Command until 2014.[3]
His decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Airman's Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal.
Civilian career
Following his retirement from the air force reserve, Stewart moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. He was appointed to the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission by Governor Pat McCrory in 2015.[4]
President Donald Trump chose Stewart to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in January 2018, confirmed by the Senate on October 11. After serving in this position and as acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness until December 2019, he submitted his resignation to Secretary Mark Esper.[5][6][7]
Dates of rank
| Rank | Branch | Date[8] |
|---|---|---|
 Second lieutenant | Air Force | 7 June 1977[3] |
 First lieutenant | 7 December 1979[3] | |
 Captain | 7 December 1981[3] | |
 Major | November 1 1988[3] | |
 Lieutenant colonel | June 13 1996[3] | |
 Colonel | March 30 2001[3] | |
 Brigadier general | February 17 2007[3] | |
 Major general | February 2 2010[3] | |
Decorations
   | |
    | |
   | |
   | |
 ,_3rd_award.svg){kind=small}  | |
    | |
 _ribbon.svg){kind=small} _ribbon.svg){kind=small} |
| Air Force Distinguished Service Medal | Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster | ||||
| Airman's Medal | Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters | Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster | |||
| Air Force Commendation Medal | Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters | |||
| Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters | National Defense Service Medal with one service star | |||
| Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Southwest Asia Service Medal with three service stars | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | |||
| Air Force Longevity Service Award with seven oak leaf clusters | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with bronze hourglass device | Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon | |||
| Air Force Training Ribbon | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) | |||
