Brigadier General JAMES R. CLUFF

Brig. Gen. James R. “Cliffy” Cluff is the Deputy Director for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations (J-32), Joint Staff J-3, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As Deputy Director, he serves as the Joint Functional Manager for ISR and supports the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in his role as the Department of Defense’s Single Integrator for ISR. Brig. Gen. Cluff recommends allocation of ISR capabilities for the DoD by conducting analysis to optimize risk mitigation strategies; coordinates ISR capability allocation with services, combatant commanders, combat support agencies, Office of the Secretary of Defense and interagency partners; serves as the Joint Staff focal point for Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations requests; and coordinates Secretary of Defense approval of ISR asset allocation via the Global Force Management Allocation Plan.

Brig. Gen. Cluff graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1991 and then attended intelligence officer training at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. His first assignment in the Air Force was at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, as a squadron intelligence officer. In 1995 he earned his pilot wings at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, and flew multiple blocks of F-16’s in three operational assignments as well as in support of Operation Southern Watch. He has operationally flown the MQ-1, RQ-4, MQ-9 and RQ-170 RPA in various assignments and has been assigned to numerous command and staff positions. Additionally, he served in Kabul, Afghanistan, as Deputy Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force – Afghanistan and International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff – Air.

Brig. Gen. Cluff commanded the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing and the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron at Creech AFB, Nevada. Prior to his assignment to the Joint Staff, he served as the Director, Remotely Piloted Aircraft/Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (A2/6U/A3U), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.

EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science, International Relations, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2002 Joint Doctrine Air Campaign Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Master of Arts, Military Studies, with Honors, American Military University, Charles Town, W.Va.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Distinguished Graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Master of Operational Studies, U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting, Quantico Marine Corps Barracks, Va.
2007 Joint Firepower Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 National Defense Fellow, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Va.
2013 Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2013 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, Charlottesville, Va.
2015 Senior Officers Security Seminar, Richmond, Va.
2016 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Senior Joint Information Operations Application Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, N.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1991–February 1992, Student, Intelligence Applications Officer Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2. February 1992–April 1994, Squadron Intelligence Officer, 33rd/309th/79th Fighter Squadrons, Shaw AFB, S.C.
3. April 1994–August 1995, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
4. August 1995–March 1996, Student, F-16C Replacement Training Unit, 308th FS, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5. March 1996 –November 1998, F-16CJ Pilot and Chief of Training, 77th FS, Shaw AFB, S.C.
6. November 1998–November 1999, F-16C Instructor Pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation and Flight Commander, 80th FS, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
7. November 1999–November 2002, F-16CJ Flight Examiner, Instructor Pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Flight Commander and Assistant Operations Officer, 14th FS, Misawa AB, Japan
8. November 2002–July 2005, Chief of Fighter Employment and Executive Officer to the Director of Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Shaw AFB, S.C.
9. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2006–June 2007, Student, U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting, Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va.
11. June 2007–December 2007, Student, MQ-9 Formal Training Unit, 42nd Attack Squadron, Creech AFB, Nev.
12. January 2008–June 2008, Operations Officer, 42nd ATKS, Creech AFB, Nev.
13. July 2008–June 2010, Commander, 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, Creech AFB, Nev.
14. July 2010–June 2011, National Defense Fellow, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Va.
15. June 2011–June 2012, Deputy Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff - Air, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, Kabul, Afghanistan
16. July 2012–May 2013, Vice Commander, 432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Creech AFB, Nev.
17. May 2013–June 2015, Commander, 432nd Wing and 432nd AEW, Creech AFB, Nev.
18. July 2015–May 2016, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va.
19. May 2016–June 2018, Vice Commander, Twenty-Fifth Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
20. June 2018–September 2019, Director, Remotely Piloted Aircraft/Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (A2/6U/A3U), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. September 2019–present, Deputy Director for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations (J-32), Joint Staff J-3, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2011–June 2012, Deputy Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Force-Afghanistan and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff - Air, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
2. July 2015–May 2016, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
3. September 2019–present, Deputy Director for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations (J-32), Joint Staff J3, Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight Hours:  more than 2,000
Aircraft flown:  F-16C/D, MQ-1B, MQ-9, RQ-170 and RQ-4

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal
Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal with two oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991
First Lieutenant May 29, 1993
Captain May 29, 1995
Major March 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2007
Colonel June 1, 2012
Brigadier General June 2, 2017

(Current as of July 2020)