Selected for promotion to major general and reassignment as Deputy Chief of Staff for the United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea

Brig. Gen. Jim Slife is currently serving as the Vice Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy on the staff of U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.  In this capacity, General Slife assists the Director in conducting a wide range of military-to-military engagements; directing the efforts of regional Embassy Security Cooperation Offices; developing sensitive operational plans; and crafting policy and strategy to support the commander’s priorities throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

General Slife was born outside of Detroit, Michigan and grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  He was commissioned through the ROTC program at Auburn University and has spent the majority of his career in special-operations aviation assignments.  He has deployed extensively in support of combat, humanitarian assistance, and peace-keeping/peace-enforcement operations.

EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Auburn University, Ala.
1995 Master of Aerospace Science in Aeronautics, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
1997 Master of Administrative Science in Organizational Management, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Air War College, by correspondence
2002 School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Joint Forces Staff College, Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Va.
2007 Senior Developmental Education, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow - the Microsoft Corporation, Reston, Va.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1990 - November 1990, helicopter student pilot, 3588th Flying Training Squadron, Fort Rucker, Ala.
2. December 1990 - October 1991, UH-1H instructor pilot, 3588th Flying Training Squadron, Fort Rucker, Ala.
3. November 1991 - June 1992, MH-53J student pilot, 1550th Technical Combat Helicopter Training
Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
4. July 1992 - July 1995, MH-53J instructor pilot, 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. August 1995 - May 1997, Air Force Intern, Washington, D.C.
6. June 1997 - August 1997, MH-53J requalification student, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
7. September 1997 - July 2000, Assistant Director of Operations and flight examiner pilot, 21st Special
Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
8. August 2000 - June 2001, Air Command and Staff College student, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
9. July 2001 - June 2002, School of Advanced Airpower Studies student, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
10. June 2002 - June 2004, Director of Operations, 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
11. June 2004 - February 2006, Commander, 21st Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, England
12. February 2006 - July 2006, Deputy Commander, 352nd Special Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, England
13. July 2006 - June 2007, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, the Microsoft Corp, Reston, Va.
14. June 2007 - June 2009, Director, Emerging Capabilities Division, Office of the Undersecretary of
Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Washington, D.C.
15. July 2009 - March 2010, Senior Program Analyst, Irregular Warfare Division, Office of the Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Washington, D.C.
16. March 2010 - June 2011, Commander, 27th Special Operations Group, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
17. June 2011 – July 2013, Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
18. July 2013 – November 2013, Special Assistant to the AFSOC Commander, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
19. November 2013 – May 2014, Deputy Director, Special Plans Working Group, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
20. May 2014 – present, Vice Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 2003 – March 2004, Commander, Joint Special Operations Aviation Detachment--Arabian Peninsula, as a lieutenant colonel
2. October 2004 – February 2005, Commander, Joint Special Operations Aviation Detachment--Arabian Peninsula, as a lieutenant colonel
3. June 2007 - June 2009, Director, Emerging Capabilities Division, Office of the Undersecretary of
Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Washington, D.C., as a colonel
4. July 2009 - March 2010, Senior Program Analyst, Irregular Warfare Division, Office of the Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
5. March 2011 – May 2011, Commander, Joint Special Operations Aviation Detachment--Afghanistan, as a colonel
6. November 2013 – May 2014, Deputy Director, Special Plans Working Group, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general
7. May 2014 – present, Vice Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 3,100
Aircraft flown: MH-53, MQ-1, and others

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Combat Action Medal

OTHER AWARDS AND HONORS
1998 Air Force Special Operations Command Pilot of the Year
2002 Air Force Historical Foundation Writing Award - Best SAAS Thesis, “Creech Blue: General Bill Creech and the Reformation of the Tactical Air Forces, 1978-1984”
2008 Major General John R. Alison Special Operations Educator of the Year

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 9, 1989
First Lieutenant Oct. 20, 1991
Captain Oct. 20, 1993
Major July1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 2002
Colonel March 1, 2006
Brigadier General July 12, 2013

(Current as of June 2015)