James Mingus

Last updated

James J. Mingus
GEN James J. Mingus.jpg
Official portrait, 2024
Born1964 (age 6061)
AllegianceUnited States
Branch United States Army
Years of service1981–present
Rank General
Commands
Battles / wars
Awards
Alma mater

James J. Mingus (born 1964) is a United States Army general who has served as the vice chief of staff of the Army since 2024. He was previously the director of the Joint Staff from 2022 to 2024, director for operations of the Joint Staff from 2020 to 2022, and commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2018 to 2020. A native of Iowa, he enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard before being commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He is a graduate of Winona State University and the United States Army War College.

Contents

Early life and education

A native of Spencer, Iowa, [1] he first enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard in 1981 and was commissioned in 1985 [2] [3] through the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps while he was studying at Winona State University. [4] Mingus was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army's Field Artillery branch, and later became an infantryman in 1987, [4] when he began active duty. [5] He also later graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. [4] [6]

Army career

In March 1988 he received his first assignment as a platoon leader in the 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, in Germany. Between then and April 1992 he also served as a battalion executive officer and maintenance officer. After that, until August 1997 Mingus had several roles in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, including as a company commander in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment; commander of the division's long range surveillance company; and as aide-de-camp to the division commanding general. From 1997 to 2000 he was an assistant professor of military science at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville and then studied at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. [4] [6]

From 2000 to 2003 he served in the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, including as a liaison officer and operations officer. After that Mingus was made the chief of the Joint Planning Group, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg. In 2005 he assumed command of the 4th Ranger Training Battalion, Ranger Training Brigade, and in July 2007 he assumed command of the Regimental Special Troops, 75th Ranger Regiment. [4] [6]

In August 2009 he began his studies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, before taking command of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Carson, Colorado, in 2010. [4] [6] In that role, Mingus led the brigade combat team in a deployment to Afghanistan. During that deployment, the head of Mingus' personal security, Captain Florent Groberg, was awarded the Medal of Honor for stopping a suicide bomber from attacking Mingus and several Afghan officials that he was meeting with. Mingus was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan a total of twelve times during his career. [5]

He remained at the 4th Brigade Combat Team until March 2013, when he was made the head of the Commander's Action Group of the United States Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. After a year in that role Mingus became the head of the Special Plans Working Group. In September 2015 he returned to the 4th Infantry Division to serve as its deputy commanding general (maneuver). He then took command of the Mission Command Center of Excellence of the United States Army Combined Arms Center in August 2016. Mingus became the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in 2018, and was later assigned to the Joint Staff at The Pentagon to serve as director for operations (J3) in September 2020. [4] [6] He served as director of operations until June 2022. [5]

In June 2022 he took up the post of director of the Joint Staff. [4] [6] In July 2023, Mingus was nominated for promotion to four-star general and assignment as vice chief of staff of the United States Army. [7] His tenure as the 39th vice chief of staff of the Army began on 4 January 2024, when he was sworn in by the chief of staff, General Randy George. [5] In April 2025, it was reported that Mingus had been expected to become the next commander of the United States Central Command, but the Donald Trump administration instead chose the admiral Brad Cooper for the role. [8]

Dates of promotion

RankBranchDate [9]
US Army O7 shoulderboard rotated.svg Brigadier general Army2 November 2014
US Army O8 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major general 2 August 2017
US Army O9 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant general 1 October 2020
US Army O10 shoulderboard rotated.svg General 4 January 2024

Awards and decorations

Personal decorations
Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Army Distinguished Service Medal
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Bronze Star Medal four oak leaf clusters
Purple Heart ribbon.svg Purple Heart
Defense Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Silver oakleaf-3d.svg
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Joint Service Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal ribbon.svg Joint Service Achievement Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg
Army Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg
Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Unit awards
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation
Campaign and service medals
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Afghanistan Campaign ribbon.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Service, training, and marksmanship awards
Army Service Ribbon.svg Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Foreign awards
NATO Medal ISAF ribbon bar.svg NATO Medal for service with ISAF
Other accoutrements
Combat Infantry Badge.svg Combat Infantryman Badge
Master Parachutist badge (United States).svg Master Parachutist Badge
USAF - Occupational Badge - High Altitude Low Opening.svg Military Freefall Parachutist Badge
Ranger Tab.svg Ranger tab
BW Sonderabzeichen Fallschirmspringer.png Bronze German Parachutist Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal (2).svg Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense identification badge.svg Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
4th Infantry Division CSIB2.svg 4th Infantry Division Combat Service Identification Badge
United States Army Staff Identification Badge.png Army Staff Identification Badge
82nd Airborne Division CSIB.svg 82nd Airborne Division Combat Service Identification Badge
Distinctive unit insignia of the 75th Ranger Regiment.svg 75th Ranger Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
ArmyOSB.svg 10 Overseas Service Bars

References

  1. "» Spencer Native Named Brigadier General". 23 September 2014.
  2. "Army announces next 82nd Airborne Division commander".
  3. "Congressional Record Extensions of Remarks Articles".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Vice Chief of Staff of the Army - General James J. Mingus". www.army.mil. U.S. Army.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Army Welcomes New Vice Chief of Staff". Association of the United States Army. 8 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lt. Gen. James J. Mingus". Archived from the original on 9 January 2024.
  7. "PN819 — Lt. Gen. James J. Mingus — Army, 118th Congress (2023-2024)". U.S. Congress. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  8. Lamothe, Dan; Ryan, Missy (29 April 2025). "Hegseth backs admiral for Middle East post, passing over Army general". The Washington Post .
  9. "General James J. Mingus (USA)". www.gomo.army.mil. General Officer Management Office. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024.
Military offices
Preceded by Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy of the United States Central Command
2014–2015
Succeeded by
Preceded by
???
Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver) of the 4th Infantry Division
2015–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of the Mission Command Center of Excellence of the United States Army Combined Arms Center
2016–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division
2018–2020
Succeeded by
Preceded by Director for Operations of the Joint Staff
2020–2022
Succeeded by
Director of the Joint Staff
2022–2024
Preceded by Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
2024–present
Incumbent