James L. Jones

James Logan Jones (born December 19, 1943) U.S. Military. Retired four-star General. Sera National Security Advisor of President Barack Obama.
Early years
Born in Kansas City, Mo., the son of a decorated veteran of World War II. After spending his formative years in France where he attended the American School of Paris, he returned to the United States and graduated in 1966 from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Military career: early years
In 1967 he was appointed Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and after completing his military training base in Quantico, Virginia, was sent to Vietnam as a company commander in the 2 Infantry Battalion of the 3rd Marine Division. There he was promoted to First Lieutenant in June 1968.
He returned to the United States in December 1968 and was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, where he served as company commander until May 1970 when the base was assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington DC. In December 1970 he reached the rank of Captain. Between July 1973 and June 1974 and completed training at the Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia.
In November 1974, was ordered back to the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan. Between January 1976 and August 1979, served in Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington DC, being promoted to Major in July 1977. He remained in Washington as liaison between the Marine Corps and the United States Senate (1979-1984), with the first boss John McCain. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in September 1982.
After attending the National University of War, in 1987 began serving as adviser to the commander of the Marine Corps. He was appointed Colonel in April 1988, and became military secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. In 1990 he was assigned to the base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, as commanding officer of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit meetings, with whom served on the border between Iraq and Turkey after the Gulf War.
In April 1992 he became Brigadier General and was Deputy Director of the European Command of the United States in Stuttgart, Germany, and participated in humanitarian relief operations in Bosnia and Macedonia. Now a Major General, from 1994 to 1996 served as Diector of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations at the Marine headquarters in Washington DC. Promoted to Lieutenant General in July 1996, a year later was assigned as military assistant to Defense Secretary William Cohen.
Commandant of the Marine Corps (1999-2003) and Supreme Commander of NATO (2003-2006)
He reached the rank of General in 1999 and was appointed Commander of the Marine Corps (1999-2003). In this responsibility, I oversee the development of MARPAT camouflage uniforms, and the adoption of the Martial Arts Program Marine Corps, which would replace the LINE combat system.
In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated him to become commander of European Command United States and Supreme Commander of the Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Leader Allied Command Operations, which includes the military forces of NATO in Europe. And after rejecting the offer to succeed General John Abizaid as commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), step to the reserve in 2007.
Diplomatic Missions and private sector
In May 2007, Jones chaired the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, a commission created by Congress to investigate the capabilities of the Iraqi army and police. In his report to Congress in September 2007, Jones pointed out the serious deficiencies in the Iraqi Interior Ministry and the Iraqi National Police.
Following the resignation of Robert Zoellick as Deputy Secretary of State, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered Jones the position number two State Department, but rejected the offer. In November 2007, Condoleezza Rice appointed him Special Envoy for Middle East Security.
James Jones is president of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the board of directors of Atlantic Council of the United States. Since June 2007 a member of the board of directors of The Boeing Company, one of the three major U.S. arms manufacturers, and from May 2008 is part of the board of Chevron Corporation, the world’s fourth largest oil company.
National Security Adviser (2009 -)
On 1 December 2008, the President-elect Barack Obama nominate James Jones to become his National Security Advisor.