Douglas Sims II

Last updated

Douglas Sims II
LTG Douglas A. Sims II.jpg
Official portrait, 2022
Nickname(s)DA [1]
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1991–present
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands
Battles / wars
Awards
Alma mater

Douglas Arthur Sims II [1] is a United States Army lieutenant general who has serves as director of the Joint Staff since January 2024. He most recently served as the director for operations of the Joint Staff from 2022 to 2024. [2] [3] Before that he was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley from 2020 to 2022 and deputy director for Regional Operations and Force Management of the Joint Staff from 2018 to 2020. [4]

Contents

Biography

Sims was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1991 after graduating from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor of science degree in political science. His education also includes a master of arts degree in management from Webster University, the United States Army Basic and Advanced Infantry Officer Courses, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. [5]

From November 1991 to April 1994 he was a platoon leader in the 505th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and then until August 1995 he was a platoon leader in the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. Sims was a student at the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, between 1995 and 1996, and became an assistant professor of military science at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania from April 1996 to May 1998. He was then a battalion headquarters company commander in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, at Ford Richardson, Alaska, until February 2000. Between March 2000 and May 2001 Sims became the commander of C Company in the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), at Fort Myers, Virginia, and then the regimental assistant operations officer. After that, he was the aide-de-camp to the commanding general, United States Army Military District of Washington at Fort McNair, Washington, DC, until July 2002. [5]

Sims was a student at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from August 2002 until June 2003, and then a battalion executive officer in the 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis, Washington until June 2004. He was the operations officer of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and took part in the Iraq War during that time, until September 2005. Between then and May 2008 Sims held several positions at the United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. From July 2008 to January 2009 he was deputy commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Germany, and was deployed to Iraq again. After that, Sims became the commander of 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment until July 2011, and in the role had a deployment to Afghanistan. From August 2011 to June 2012 he was a Senior Service College Fellow in security studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [5]

He was the commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment between January 2013 and July 2014, during which time he led it in Afghanistan, and after that he was the chief of staff of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado from August 2014 to July 2016. Sims was then the Deputy Commanding General (Support) of the 1st Cavalry Division until May 2017, with another deployment to Afghanistan. He was the U.S. Army Director for Operations, Readiness and Mobilization at the Army Staff from June 2017 to June 2018, before becoming the Deputy Director for Regional Operations and Force Management at the Joint Staff, The Pentagon, until June 2020. Sims commanded the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, from August 2020 to May 2022, and then was appointed as Director for Operations of the Joint Staff. [5] In October 2023, Sims was nominated for appointment as Director of the Joint Staff, [6] and took up the post in January 2024. [7]

Dates of promotion

Sims at the change of command ceremony for the 1st Infantry Division, 2022 1st Infantry Division Welcomes New Commanding General 08.jpg
Sims at the change of command ceremony for the 1st Infantry Division, 2022
RankBranchDate [5] [7]
US Army O1 shoulderboard rotated.svg Second lieutenant Army1 June 1991
US Army O2 shoulderboard rotated.svg First lieutenant 1 June 1993
US Army O3 shoulderboard rotated.svg Captain 1 June 1995
US Army O4 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major 1 May 2002
US Army O5 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant colonel 1 June 2007
US Army O6 shoulderboard rotated.svg Colonel 1 October 2012
US Army O7 shoulderboard rotated.svg Brigadier general 2 August 2017
US Army O8 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major general 2 June 2020
US Army O9 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant general 10 June 2022

References

  1. 1 2 "1st Cavalry Division Deputy Commander Sims promoted to brigadier general". Fort Hood Sentinel. USFOR-A Public Affairs Office. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  2. "PN1751 - 1 nominee for Army, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 2 February 2022.
  3. Shane, Leo III (18 February 2022). "Kurilla confirmed as new CENTCOM head by the Senate". Defense News.
  4. "Commanding General, 1st Infantry Division Major General Douglas A. Sims II". U.S. Army. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II". www.jcs.mil. Joint Chiefs of Staff. June 2022. Archived from the original on 13 March 2025.
  6. "PN1069 — Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II — Army". U.S. Congress. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Major General Douglas A. Sims (USA)". www.gomo.army.mil. General Officer Management Office. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
2013–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Commanding General (Support) of the 1st Cavalry Division
2016–2017
Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of Operations, Readiness and Mobilization of the United States Army
2017–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Director of Regional Operations and Force Management of the Joint Staff
2018–2020
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division
2020–2022
Succeeded by
Preceded by Director for Operations of the Joint Staff
2022–2024
Succeeded by
Director of the Joint Staff
2024–present
Incumbent