General Whitmore nominated for second star

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob Corbin
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  When he began his career as a second lieutenant, he hoped to maybe become a lieutenant colonel and a squadron commander. Since then, he's held positions at the Pentagon, led expeditionary wings in Afghanistan and even served as Commander of the 82nd Training Wing.

Now, Brig. Gen. James A. Whitmore, Deputy Commander of Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, U.S. Strategic Command, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., has been nominated for promotion to the rank of major general.

Although General Whitmore said he never expected to make it to this point, there was one person who had no doubt he would.

"The only person in this world that ever thought I'd be a general officer one day was mom," he said.

General Whitmore may have not have had a plan for becoming a general, but he did have a plan for his time in the Air Force.

"It's nice to have goals for the long term," he said. "But the key is to do what the Air Force asks you to do and give it your best shot...the rest will take care of itself."

General Whitmore said that his time at Sheppard was critical to his nomination.

"Promotion to any rank isn't a reward for how well you've done your previous jobs, but what the Air Force thinks you're capable of in the future," he said. "However, all the success Team Sheppard had while I was lucky enough to be the commander was definitely a plus."

"Team success is always more important than your own individual accomplishments."

General Whitmore's nomination is currently waiting on confirmation from the Senate, but since leaving Sheppard, he has held two two-star positions: his current assignment and his time as Director for Operations and Support Integration, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, the Pentagon.

He only recently began his role with U.S. Strategic Command, but said he's looking forward to the challenges it will offer. He said balancing and prioritizing the United State's ISR needs and seeing how we can optimize use of available resources will be instrumental in providing our warfighters the support they need to execute their mission. In addition to that, he said he has a few more things to look forward to.

"The job itself is very interesting and being on an Air Force base is always a good thing," he said. The general said that with his family recently joining him in Fairfax, VA, "things are definitely looking up."

General Whitmore still reflects on his time at Sheppard fondly though, even with all of his recent accomplishments.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about Sheppard and the wonderful Texoma community," he said.

General Whitmore added that the impact Sheppard has on the Air Force is huge and that nothing is more important than training our young Airmen and making sure they get off on the right foot.

The brigadier general with a nomination to major general who was once a young second lieutenant hoping to make it to a squadron command position isn't done quite yet though.

"We all serve at the discretion of the president," he said. "I'll stick around as long as the Air Force thinks I can contribute."

He added that when it is time for him to hang up his uniform, he'll do so proudly, with no regrets.

General Whitmore is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours, including more than 190 combat hours in the F-16.