Lt. Gen. James C. Vechery is the Deputy Commander for U.S. Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart Germany. He is responsible to the Commander to help direct and enable operations, activities, and investments for the command as they promote the national security interests for the U.S. in the 11.2 million square mile USAFRICOM area of responsibility, consisting of 53 African countries. USAFRICOM works with partners to counter transnational threats and malign actors, strengthen security forces, and respond to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity.

Lt. Gen. Vechery was commissioned in 1988 as a distinguished graduate from Air Force ROTC following his graduation from the University of Maryland. He has held command positions at the squadron level and twice at the wing level. He has extensive operational flying experience, including several deployments supporting operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Southern Watch and Northern Watch. His staff assignments include serving as the Major Command Regional Director of Operations, Tanker Airlift Control Center; Chief of Airlift Manning, Headquarters Air Mobility Command; Programmer for C-5 Mobility Forces, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; Chief, Global Force Management Operations, Chief Air Force Legislative Affairs, U.S. Transportation Command; Deputy Director of Operations, and Deputy Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs at Headquarters Air Mobility Command; Director for Logistics, USAFRICOM; and Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Lt. Gen. Vechery is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the T-37, T-38, C-5A/B, KC-135R/T and C-37A. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.

EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Arts,Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, College Park
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
1995 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Master of Arts, Human Resource Development, Webster University, St. Louis
2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by seminar
2004 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Joint Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2008 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2008 Air Force Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2015 Capstone, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2018 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Arosa, Switzerland
2019 Pinnacle, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1989-March 1990, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. March 1990-January 1993, T-37 Instructor Pilot, Squadron Executive Officer and Assistant Wing Executive Officer, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. January 1993-January 1994, C-5 Pilot and Squadron Scheduler, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
4. January 1994-January 1995, C-5 Aircraft Commander, Chief Air Training Operations, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
5. January 1995-August 1995, C-5 Instructor Aircraft Commander and Executive Officer, 436th Operations Group, 436th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
6. August 1995-July 1996, Major Command Regional Director of Operations, Command and Control Division, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
7. August 1996-July 1997, Chief, Airlift Manning, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
8. July 1997-December 1998, KC-135R Aircraft Commander, Flight Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla.
9. December 1998-August 1999, Assistant Director of Operations, 6th Operations Support Squadron, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla.
10. September 1999-June 2000, Chief, Standardization/Evaluation, 6th Operations Group, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, FL
11. June 2000-August 2001, Programmer, C-5 Mobility Forces, Global Mobility Division, Directorate of Programs, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. August 2001-July 2003, Commander, 912th Air Refueling Squadron, 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
13. July 2003-June 2004, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2004-May 2006, Chief, Global Force Management Operations, and Chief, Legislative Affairs, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
15. June 2006-January 2008, Vice Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews AFB, Md.
16. February 2008-July 2009, Commander, 22d Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kan.
17. July 2009 - August 2011, Commander, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
18. September 2011-August 2012, Deputy Director Operations, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
19. August 2012-July 2013, Deputy Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements, and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
20. July 2013-July 2014, Director, Commander International Security Assistance Force Liaison to the U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan
21. August 2014-August 2016, Director for Logistics, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany
22. August 2016-July 2017, Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
23. August 2017-present, U.S. Africa Command Deputy for Military Operations, Stuttgart, Germany

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2004-May 2006, Chief, Global Force Management Operations, and Chief, Legislative Affairs, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 2013-July 2014, Director, Commander International Security Assistance Force Liaison to the U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
3. August 2014-August 2016, Director for Logistics, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a major general
4. August 2017-present, U.S. Africa Command’s Deputy Commander

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight hours:  more than 3,000
Aircraft flown:  T-37, T-38, C-5A/B, KC-135R/T and C-37A

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

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 24, 1988
First Lieutenant Oct. 14, 1990
Captain Oct. 14, 1992
Major Aug. 1, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2001
Colonel March 1, 2006
Brigadier General July 3, 2012
Major General Aug. 2, 2015
Lieutenant General Aug. 2, 2017

(Current as of March 2020)