James C. Yarbrough | |
---|---|
![]() Yarbrough, as commander JRTC, holding a press conference at Fort Polk in 2008 | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1979–2011 |
Rank | Brigadier General |
Commands held | Joint Readiness Training Center Iraq Assistance Group 173rd Airborne Brigade 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars | United States invasion of Grenada Iraq War |
Awards | Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) |
James C. Yarbrough is a retired brigadier general in the United States Army.
In the United States Armed Forces, brigadier general is a one-star general officer with the pay grade of O-7 in the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. The rank of brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed services. The NATO equivalent is OF-6.
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution. As the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed to fight the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—before the United States of America was established as a country. After the Revolutionary War, the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The United States Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army, and dates its institutional inception from the origin of that armed force in 1775.
Yarbrough earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Tulane University in May 1979 and, as a Distinguished Military Graduate, was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He earned a Master of Arts degree in Business Management from Webster University in 1991 and a Master of Strategic Studies in 1999. Yarbrough's military education includes the Infantry Officer's Basic and Advanced Courses; Air Assault, Airborne, Ranger and Pathfinder Schools; Jumpmaster, Military Freefall and Freefall Jumpmaster Courses; and United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College.
Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was founded as a public medical college in 1834 and became a comprehensive university in 1847. The institution was made private under the endowments of Paul Tulane and Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1884. Tulane is the 9th oldest private university in the Association of American Universities, which consists of major research universities in the United States and Canada. The Tulane University Law School and Tulane University Medical School are considered the 12th oldest and 15th oldest law and medical schools, respectively, in the United States.
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is a group of college and university-based officer training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri.
Yarbrough's first assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), where he served as Rifle Platoon Leader and Anti-Tank Platoon Leader in 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry from 1979–1981. He was later reassigned to 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Infantry from 1981–1984, and participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada.
The 2nd Ranger Battalion, currently based at Joint Base Lewis–McChord south of Seattle, Washington, United States, is the second of three ranger battalions belonging to the United States Army's 75th Ranger Regiment.
Grenada is a sovereign state in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself plus six smaller islands which lie to the north of the main island. It is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Its size is 348.5 square kilometres (134.6 sq mi), and it had an estimated population of 112,200 in July 2018. Its capital is St. George's. Grenada is also known as the "Island of Spice" due to its production of nutmeg and mace crops, of which it is one of the world's largest exporters. The national bird of Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada dove.
After graduating from the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course, Yarbrough commanded a rifle company in 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry, in the Republic of Korea, from 1985 to 1986. Following company command, he served as Operations Officer and Chief, Current Operations, United States Army Special Operations Command, then Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He then, he served as Battalion S-3 for 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR); then Brigade S-3 for the 504th PIR before being reassigned as Chief, Theater Operations Branch at US Atlantic Command from 1994 to 1996. He then commanded the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry in the 101st Airborne Division from 1996–1998.
The United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC) is the command charged with overseeing the various special operations forces of the United States Army. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC, it is the largest component of the United States Special Operations Command. It is an Army Service Component Command. Its mission is to organize, train, educate, man, equip, fund, administer, mobilize, deploy and sustain Army special operations forces to successfully conduct worldwide special operations.
The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps". Its headquarters are at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Following attendance at the War College, Brigadier General Yarbrough commanded the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, from February 1, 2000 through June 23, 2002. As the XVIII Airborne Corps G3 commencing July 2002, Yarbrough served for 11 months as CJ3 of CJTF-180 executing Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and remained the Assistant Chief of Staff/G3, XVIII Airborne Corps until July 1, 2004. After he left the XVIII Airborne Corps, he served as the Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Infantry Center, Fort Benning, Georgia, from July 2004 through July 2006. On 1 August 2006 he became the Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. In July 2007, Yarbrough deployed on Operation Iraqi Freedom where he assumed command of the Iraq Assistance Group from Brigadier General Dana J.H. Pittard, while still serving as the Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver of the 1st Infantry Division. In July 2008, he assumed command of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk.
Vicenza is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Venice and 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Milan.
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for the Global War on Terrorism. On October 7, 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush announced that airstrikes targeting Al Qaeda and the Taliban had begun in Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom primarily refers to the War in Afghanistan, but it is also affiliated with counterterrorism operations in other countries, such as OEF-Philippines and OEF-Trans Sahara.
The Iraq Assistance Group (IAG) was a U.S. military command underneath Multi-National Corps-Iraq that coordinated military transition teams assigned to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) including the Iraqi Army, Federal Police, Department of Border Enforcement, Ports of Entry Directorate and provincial police. These teams provide partnership, mentoring and training to assist their ISF partners in achieving full operational effectiveness and facilitating the transition of internal security to Iraqi control. The Iraq Assistance Group itself was a joint command formed from the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division and composed of mostly Army soldiers but also including a sizable contingent of sailors, airmen and marines as well as members of foreign militaries.
Yarbrough retired from the United States Army in January 2011.
Yarbrough's personal and unit awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (2 oak leaf clusters), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (1 silver oak leaf cluster), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (4 oak leaf clusters), Joint Service Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Valorous Unit Award, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab.
The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a senior American military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility".
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the seven uniformed services of the United States as well as to military and political figures of foreign governments.
An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote subsequent decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem that is authorized by the United States Armed Forces as for a specific set of decorations and awards of the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and Department of the Air Force.
Military offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Brigadier General Dana J.H. Pittard | Iraq Assistance Group 2008–2009 | Succeeded by Brigadier General Keith C. Walker |
Lieutenant General John Randolph Vines is the former commander of the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps and Multi-National Corps – Iraq.
Lieutenant General Joe Nathan Ballard is a former U.S. Army officer who fought in the Vietnam War, and who served for a time as Chief of Engineers, the first African-American to serve in this role.
Lieutenant General Thomas R. Turner II is a retired United States Army officer, who served as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division and United States Army North, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Lieutenant General Robert T. Clark is a retired United States Army officer.
William H. Brandenburg is a retired major general in the United States Army. He last served as Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army, Pacific, August 8, 2003. Prior to his last assignment, he was Deputy Commanding General for Training and Readiness, I Corps and Fort Lewis. From November 29, 2004, until December 1, 2005, he deployed to Iraq as Deputy Commanding General and Commanding General Task Force 134.
Lieutenant General Michael S. Tucker is a retired United States Army general who served Commanding General of the First United States Army from 2013 until 2016. He formerly served as the Commanding General of the 2nd Infantry Division.
Paul D. Eaton is a former United States Army officer most known for his command of operations to train Iraqi troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Eaton served in that capacity between 2003 and 2004, and then returned to the US to become Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia. He currently serves as Senior Adviser to the National Security Network, a progressive Washington, D.C.-based think tank that focuses on foreign policy and defense issues.
William Joseph Gainey is a retired United States Army soldier who served as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Lieutenant General Donald M. Campbell Jr. in Florida, He was the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe. He commanded U.S. Army Europe from December 1, 2012 to present.
David Anthony Bramlett is a retired United States Army four-star general who commanded United States Army Forces Command from July 1, 1996 to August 31, 1998, after serving as Deputy Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff, United States Pacific Command at Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. During his tenure as Deputy Commander, he was the interim commander of Pacific Command after the commander, Admiral Richard C. Macke, came under fire for comments he had made in regard to the 1995 rape scandal in Okinawa that involved several U.S. servicemen.
David W. Barno is a retired Lieutenant General of the United States Army. He was head of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan from 2003–2005.
Lieutenant General Dana Kyle Chipman, USA is a retired American military lawyer who served from 2009 to 2013 as the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army.
Major General Carl H. Freeman, USA is a retired American Quartermaster officer and former Chairman of the Inter-American Defense Board, Washington, D.C.
Ralph O. "Rob" Baker is a retired United States Army Brigadier General who was formerly a major general and commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. He was fired from command for misconduct in connection with sexual assault and alcohol abuse charges in March, 2013. He was assessed a fine, demoted to brigadier general, and retired in September, 2013.
Michael Ferriter is a United States Army four-star general, who serves as Commander, United States Africa Command since July 26, 2019. He previously commanded the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from March 2018 until June 2019 and XVIII Airborne Corps from May 2015 until January 2018.
Major General Thomas E. Ayres is a retired American military lawyer who served as the 20th Deputy Judge Advocate General of the United States Army. On January 18, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated him to become General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force. This nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 15, 2018.
Harry E. Miller Jr. is retired Army National Guard officer. A veteran of the Iraq War, he attained the rank of major general as commander of the 42nd Infantry Division, a position he held from 2013 to 2017.
Major General Lynn A. Collyar is a retired general officer in the United States Army and served as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command between from 2012 to 2014. Prior to this assignment, he served as the 35th Chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland and Fort Lee, Virginia.
Major General Stephen E. Farmen is the 21st Commanding General of the U.S. Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), the Army Service Component Command to the U.S. Transportation Command and a Major Subordinate Command to U.S. Army Materiel Command. SDDC provides deployment and distribution capabilities to meet national objectives.
Maj. General Scott McKean is the current commanding officer of the 2nd Infantry Division. He has a wife and one daughter and a son.