UMUC Asia - Tokyo Commencement Speaker

MAJOR GENERAL LARRY D. JAMES

Major General Larry D. James is Vice Commander, 5th Air Force, and Deputy Commander, 13th Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan. Fifth Air Force exercises authority over U.S. Air Force forces in Japan for organization, resources, personnel, training and readiness. The command also coordinates joint and bilateral actions with U.S. Forces Japan, U.S. service components, the Japan Air Self Defense Forces and other Japanese organizations to strengthen bilateral interoperability.

General James entered the Air Force as a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in 1978. His career has spanned a wide variety of space operations and acquisition assignments, including space shuttle payload specialist, Air Staff program element monitor, Global Positioning System satellite program manager and Chief of Operations, 14th Air Force. General James holds a Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering from MIT.

General James has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, and was Vice Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center. He has served on the staffs of Headquarters U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command. He also served as the Senior Space Officer for Operation Iraqi Freedom at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Prior to his current assignment, the general was Director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Washington, D.C.