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General John P. Jumper
General John P. Jumper
Born	(1945-02-04) February 4, 1945 (age 79) Paris, Texas
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1966–2005
Rank	General
Unit	459th Airlift Squadron
Commands	Chief 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 / wars	Vietnam War War in Afghanistan
Awards	See list Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (3) Army Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Meritorious Service Medal (3) Air Medal (18) Legion of Honor
Alma mater	Virginia Military Institute (BA) Golden Gate University (MA)
Children	3
Relations	Jimmy J. Jumper
Other work	CEO of Leidos (2012-2014)

John Phillip Jumper (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

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. 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. Delbert's brother Samuel Augusta Jumper was also a veteran having served in the U.S. Army.

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

• 1962 Hampton High School (Hampton, Virginia)
• 1966 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington
• 1975 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
• 1978 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
• 1979 Master of Business Administration degree, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California
• 1982 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Career

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. On March 1, 2012 Jumper became SAIC's CEO 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. 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.

Personal life

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. 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.

Jumper has five grandchildren.

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

Assignments

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

• Rating: Command pilot
• Flight hours: More than 5,000
• Aircraft flown: C-7, C-17, C-20, C-37, T-37, T-38, F-4, F-15, F-16, F-22A and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Honors

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

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

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".

Awards and decorations

	Command Air Force Pilot Badge
	Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Army Distinguished Service Medal
	Navy Distinguished Service Medal
	Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Distinguished Flying Cross with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	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)
	Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force) with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Presidential Unit Citation (Navy)
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
	Combat Readiness Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
	Vietnam Service Medal with silver service star
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with 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

• 2000 Air Force Order of the Sword, U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE press release)

Effective dates of promotion

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

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."

Thunderbirds "Thundervision" Scandal

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. 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. 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.

See also

• List of commanders of USAFE

Notes

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. ^ "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.

External links

• Biography of General Jumper, USAF, September 2005.
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Interview with General Jumper: Air Force Transformation, Military Aerospace Technology, May 1, 2002.
• First-year cadet criticizes USAF Chief of Staff's personnel decisions, Snopes, March 26, 2003.
• Speech at the Air Force Association convention, September 16, 2003.
• Speech at the Air Force Association symposium, February 12, 2004.

v t e Chiefs of Staff of the United States Air Force
	Spaatz Vandenberg Twining White LeMay McConnell J. D. Ryan G. Brown Jones Allen Gabriel Welch Dugan Loh (acting) McPeak Fogleman Eberhart (acting) M. E. Ryan Jumper Moseley McNabb (acting) Schwartz Welsh Goldfein C. Q. Brown Allvin

• 1945 births
• Living people
• People from Paris, Texas
• Virginia Military Institute alumni
• United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War
• Recipients of the Air Medal
• Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
• Golden Gate University alumni
• Hampton High School (Virginia) alumni
• National War College alumni
• Recipients of the Legion of Merit
• United States Air Force generals
• Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
• Chiefs of staff of the United States Air Force
• Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
• Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
• Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
• Recipients of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
• Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
• Commanders of the Legion of Honour
• Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States)
• Military personnel from Texas