Jimmy D. Ross
Encyclopedia
General Jimmy Douglas Ross (born May 23, 1936) is a retired United States Army
4-star general and member of the board of two corporations.
. Upon completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Henderson State University
in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
in 1958, he was also commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. He also holds a Masters' degree in business administration from Central Michigan University
. His military education includes the Basic Officer Course at the United States Army Infantry School
, the Transportation Advanced Officer Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
.
, Kentucky; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina
. In 1964, General Ross served in Vietnam as an Infantry Battalion Advisor in the PBT Special Zone, III Corps.
From 1967 to 1969, he was assigned as a JTF-11 Staff Officer, United States Strike Command
, MacDill Air Force Base
, Florida. In 1969, General Ross returned to Vietnam. During his second combat tour, he served as the S4 and later the S2/3 in the 101st Airborne Division
Support Command; and then commanded the 10th Transportation Battalion at Cam Ranh Bay
.
Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics at HQDA, in the Financial Resources and the Materiel Acquisition Directorates. He served as the Assistant Director of the Army Staff in the Office of the Chief of Staff, Army, from 1973 to 1974. His next assignment was as the Deputy Comptroller of Oakland Army Base
, California, and later as the Commander of the Military Ocean Terminal
, Bay Area.
In 1978, General Ross transferred to Germany, where he commanded the 4th Transportation Brigade and 2nd Support Command, VII Corps. He returned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, HQDA, as the Director for Transportation, Energy and Troop Support from 1982 to 1984.
He served as the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Materiel Command, from 1984 to 1986 and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Depot System Command, from 1986 to 1987. In June 1987, he was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army, where he served for four and a half years. General Ross returned to AMC as commanding general from February 1, 1992 to February 11, 1994.
His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Legion of Merit
(with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star
, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Air Medal
s, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster). He has also been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge
, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab
, and the Army Staff Identification Badge
. General Ross retired from the Army in 1994.
and is currently a consultant to Cypress International. He is a member of the board of directors of VSE Corporation
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
4-star general and member of the board of two corporations.
Education
Ross was born in Hosston, LouisianaHosston, Louisiana
Hosston is a village in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 387 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Hosston is located at ....
. Upon completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Henderson State University
Henderson State University
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
in 1958, he was also commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. He also holds a Masters' degree in business administration from Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
. His military education includes the Basic Officer Course at the United States Army Infantry School
United States Army Infantry School
The United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
, the Transportation Advanced Officer Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
.
Army service
His initial company grade assignments were with the Infantry and Transportation Corps units at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Thailand; Fort Eustis, Virginia; Fort CampbellFort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. In 1964, General Ross served in Vietnam as an Infantry Battalion Advisor in the PBT Special Zone, III Corps.
From 1967 to 1969, he was assigned as a JTF-11 Staff Officer, United States Strike Command
United States Strike Command
In 1961 the United States Strike Command was established at MacDill Air Force Base as a unified combatant command capable of responding to global crises. The name of the command was originally derived from the acronym for Swift Tactical Reaction In Every Known Environment...
, MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...
, Florida. In 1969, General Ross returned to Vietnam. During his second combat tour, he served as the S4 and later the S2/3 in the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
Support Command; and then commanded the 10th Transportation Battalion at Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in the province of Khánh Hòa. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers / 180 miles northeast of Hồ Chí Minh City / Saigon.Cam Ranh is...
.
Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics at HQDA, in the Financial Resources and the Materiel Acquisition Directorates. He served as the Assistant Director of the Army Staff in the Office of the Chief of Staff, Army, from 1973 to 1974. His next assignment was as the Deputy Comptroller of Oakland Army Base
Oakland Army Base
The Oakland Army Base, also known as the Oakland Army Terminal, was a former United States Army base in the San Francisco Bay Area of California...
, California, and later as the Commander of the Military Ocean Terminal
Military Ocean Terminal
Military Ocean Terminals are operated by the U.S. Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command for distribution of surface cargo from storage and repair depots to military forward based units.-Current facilities:...
, Bay Area.
In 1978, General Ross transferred to Germany, where he commanded the 4th Transportation Brigade and 2nd Support Command, VII Corps. He returned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, HQDA, as the Director for Transportation, Energy and Troop Support from 1982 to 1984.
He served as the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Materiel Command, from 1984 to 1986 and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Depot System Command, from 1986 to 1987. In June 1987, he was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army, where he served for four and a half years. General Ross returned to AMC as commanding general from February 1, 1992 to February 11, 1994.
His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster). He has also been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab
Ranger Tab
The Ranger Tab is a service school military decoration of the United States Army signifying completion of the 61-day long Ranger School course in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations. In December 2009 a British NCO earned the Ranger tab...
, and the Army Staff Identification Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge
The Army Staff Identification Badge is a badge of the United States Army worn by personnel who serve at the Office of the Secretary of the Army and the Army Staff at Headquarters, Department of the Army and its agencies. Neither an award nor a decoration, the badge is a distinguishing emblem of...
. General Ross retired from the Army in 1994.
Post-army activities
Since 2001, Ross has been a member of the board of directors of Stanley, Inc., a consulting firm. He also served as an executive with the American Red CrossAmerican Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
and is currently a consultant to Cypress International. He is a member of the board of directors of VSE Corporation
VSE Corporation
VSE Corporation is a diversified technical services company formed in 1959. VSE employs over 2,700 people. Its 2008 and 2009 annual revenues surpassed $1 billion; 2007 revenues were reported at $653 million...
.