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John P. Jumper

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John P. Jumper
General John P. Jumper
Born (1945-02-04) February 4, 1945 (age 79)
Paris, Texas
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Air Force
Years of service1966–2005
RankGeneral
Unit459th Airlift Squadron
CommandsChief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Headquarters ACC
Allied Air Forces Central Europe
U.S. Air Forces in Europe
U.S. Central Command Air Forces
Ninth Air Force
57th Fighter Weapons Wing
33rd Tactical Fighter Wing
430th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Battles / warsVietnam War
War in Afghanistan
Awards
See list
Alma materVirginia Military Institute (BA)
Golden Gate University (MA)
Children3
RelationsJimmy J. Jumper
Other workCEO of Leidos (2012-2014)
Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. Jumper and Secretary of the Air Force James Roche during a briefing at The Pentagon.

John Phillip Jumper[1] (born February 4, 1945) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) general, who served as 17th chief of staff of the United States Air Force from September 6, 2001 to September 2, 2005. He retired from the USAF on November 1, 2005. Jumper was succeeded as chief of staff by General T. Michael Moseley.

Early life

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Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. Jumper flies an F-22 Raptor.
Jumper speaking as a CEO of Leidos, September 2013


John Jumper was born on February 4, 1945 in Paris, Texas. Jumper has stated that his father general Jimmy Jefferson Jumper enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II "probably for a way to get out of Paris, Texas", became a pilot, and retired as a two star general.

While his father served in the occupation of Japan after World War II, John and his mother once traveled aboard a liberty ship to join his father there.[2] John Jumper's grandfather, Delbert Lee Jumper was a cotton farmer from Paris, Texas and served in the U.S. Navy during World War One.[3][4][5] Delbert's brother Samuel Augusta Jumper was also a veteran having served in the U.S. Army.[6][7]

John went on to earn his commission as a distinguished graduate of Virginia Military Institute's Air Force ROTC program in 1966. He has commanded a fighter squadron, two fighter wings, a Numbered Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Forces Central Europe.


Education

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Career

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Prior to becoming Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the general served as commander of Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base. Jumper has also served at the Pentagon as deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, as the senior military assistant to two secretaries of defense, and as special assistant to the chief of staff for roles and missions. A command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, principally in fighter aircraft, Jumper served two tours in Southeast Asia, accumulating more than 1,400 combat hours. Jumper retired from the Air Force on November 1, 2005.

In June 2007 Jumper joined board of directors of Science Applications International Corporation, a federal contractor company.[8] On March 1, 2012 Jumper became SAIC's CEO[9] and was essential in splitting the company into two. After the split Jumper remained the CEO of the company which changed its name to Leidos.[10] Jumper retired as CEO in July 2014, when Roger Krone succeeded him as the company's new CEO, but Jumper stayed on as chairman of the company's board of directors.[11]

Personal life

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Jumper's wife is named is Ellen and they have three daughters Melissa, Catherine, and Janet, all of whom have served in the Air Force.[12][13] On November 6, 2022 his daughter Catherine was promoted to brigadier general and Commander of the Virginia National Guard Air Component. John Jumper served as the presiding official over the ceremony.[14]

Jumper has five grandchildren.[15]

Jumper appeared as himself in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Lost City: Part 2" (S07E22).[16]

Assignments

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  1. June 1966 – July 1967, student pilot, 3550th Pilot Training Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia
  2. July 1967 – September 1967, C-7 upgrade training, Sewart AFB, Tennessee
  3. October 1967 – October 1968, C-7 pilot, 459th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam
  4. November 1968 – July 1969, F-4 upgrade training, 431st Tactical Fighter Squadron, George AFB, California
  5. July 1969 – May 1970, instructor pilot, weapons officer and fast forward air controller, 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Udon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
  6. June 1970 – July 1974, instructor pilot, flight examiner and standardization and evaluation chief, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Bentwaters, England
  7. July 1974 – August 1977, flight instructor, later, flight commander, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
  8. August 1977 – June 1978, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
  9. June 1978 – August 1981, staff officer for operations and readiness, Tactical Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  10. August 1981 – July 1982, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
  11. July 1982 – February 1983, chief of safety, 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  12. March 1983 – July 1983, commander, 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  13. July 1983 – August 1986, special assistant and executive officer to the commander, headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
  14. August 1986 – February 1988, vice commander, later, commander, 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
  15. February 1988 – May 1990, commander, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  16. June 1990 – April 1992, deputy director for politico-military affairs, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
  17. May 1992 – February 1994, senior military assistant to the secretary of defense, Washington, D.C.
  18. February 1994 – July 1994, special assistant to the Air Force chief of staff for roles and missions, Washington, D.C.
  19. August 1994 – June 1996, commander, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
  20. June 1996 – November 1997, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  21. December 1997 – February 2000, commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
  22. February 2000 – September 2001, commander, Headquarters ACC, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
  23. September 2001 – September 2005, chief of staff, headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

Flight information

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Honors

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The General John P. Jumper Awards for Excellence in Warfighting Integration is named in his honor.[17]

He is in the Virginia Military Institute Airforce ROTC Hall of Fame[18]

On May 18, 2024 Nellis Airforce Base dedicated its new headquarters building in honor of Jumper. It was named the General John P. Jumper Headquarters Complex. During the ceremony retired Airforce General Lori Robinson stated "Today we are honoring a leader, warrior, mentor and visionary — someone who represents the heart and soul of our Air Force".[19]

Awards and decorations

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Command Air Force Pilot Badge
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters[20]
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters[20]
Width-44 white ribbon with width-10 scarlet stripes at edges, separated from the white by width-2 ultramarine blue stripes. Army Distinguished Service Medal[20]
Navy blue ribbon with central gold stripe Navy Distinguished Service Medal[20]
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal[20]
Defense Superior Service Medal[20]
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges
Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster[20]
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with two bronze oak leaf clusters[20]
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges.
Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Silver oak leaf cluster
Silver oak leaf cluster
Silver oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Medal (18th consecutive award of this medal; denotes second ribbon for accouterment spacing)
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force) with bronze oak leaf cluster
Presidential Unit Citation (Navy)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
V
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze star
Bronze star
Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
Silver star
Vietnam Service Medal with silver service star
Bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf cluster
Silver oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
French Legion of Honour, Commandeur Medal
Military Meritorious Service Medal, Singapore
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Award
SICOFAA Legion of Merit, Officer
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Effective dates of promotion

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Promotions
Insignia Rank Date
General November 17, 1997
Lieutenant General  September 1, 1994
Major General February 1, 1992
Brigadier General August 1, 1989
Colonel October 1, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 1980
Major January 1, 1978
Captain June 12, 1969
First Lieutenant December 12, 1967
Second Lieutenant June 12, 1966

Tanker Lease Scandal

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On June 7, 2005 General Jumper apologized to Senator McCain for internal Air Force emails about the Senator in the context of the tanker lease scandal, calling them "unprofessional and not worthy of a great Air Force."[21]

Thunderbirds "Thundervision" Scandal

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Members of the United States Air Force were under investigation by the FBI for having awarded a $50 million contract for audio-visual presentation services to Strategic Message Solutions of Plymouth Meeting, Pa.[22][23][24] The contract involved the "Thundervision" project, meant to provide oversized video screens and perhaps content services during air shows that featured the Air Force Thunderbirds. The investigation revolves around possible involvement of Jumper, and then Chief of Staff of the Air Force T. Michael Moseley.

It was suggested that the contract price was inflated, because a friend of the two generals, Air Force General (ret.) Hal Hornburg, was associated with Strategic Message Solutions.[25] Two companies involved in the bidding process protested award of the contract, one having offered comparable services for half as much. The Air Force later cancelled the contract.[26]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Biographical and Financial Information Requested of Nominees". Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2002. pp. 1373–1376. ISBN 9780160692970. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  2. ^ "John P. Jumper - U. S. A. F. - Vietnam - Oral History Project". ohp.rwnaf.org. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  3. ^ Jumper, Delbert Lee (November 11, 1957). "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940". familysearch.org.
  4. ^ "John P. Jumper - U. S. A. F. - Vietnam - Oral History Project". ohp.rwnaf.org. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  5. ^ Drummond, Caleb (1940). "1940 Census". Familysearch.org.
  6. ^ Jumper, Samuel (September 1955). "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940". Familysearch. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Barn, J.M. (May 2, 1910). "United States 1910 Census". Familysearch. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  8. ^ "SAI Investor Relations - Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 2013-06-12. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  9. ^ "SAIC Announces CEO Succession" (Press release).
  10. ^ Aitoro, Jill R. (27 September 2013). "What to expect from Leidos and SAIC when they start trading Sept. 30". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  11. ^ Jayakumar, Amrita (1 July 2014). "Leidos taps Boeing executive as new CEO". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  12. ^ "U.S. Air Force: A family business". Sheppard Air Force Base. 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  13. ^ "Commonwealth Conversations with General John Jumper". GZ Module Pages. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  14. ^ "Jumper promoted to brigadier general, takes command of VaANG". DVIDS. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  15. ^ "Commonwealth Conversations with General John Jumper". GZ Module Pages. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  16. ^ "IMDB Cast listing for episode "The Lost City: Part 2"". IMDb. lists John P. Jumper playing himself
  17. ^ "HAF A6 GENERAL JUMPER & INFORMATION DOMINANCE AWARD GUIDANCE". www.coursehero.com. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  18. ^ "VMI AF Hall of Fame - VMI". www.vmi.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  19. ^ "Nellis dedicates headquarters building to retired Gen. John P. Jumper". DVIDS. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h "John P. Jumper". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  21. ^ Report Faults Air Force on Proposed Boeing Deal
  22. ^ The San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/05/19/national/w141413D78.DTL. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ^ "FBI Investigating $50 Million Air Force Contract". Archived from the original on 2006-11-09. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
  24. ^ "While troops get their heads blown off in Iraq... | TPMCafe". Archived from the original on 2006-07-02. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
  25. ^ "Biographies : GENERAL HAL M. HORNBURG". Archived from the original on May 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  26. ^ "Air Force terminates contract". Archived from the original on 2006-11-09. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
2001–2005
Succeeded by