James C. McConville

James Charles McConville (born 16 March 1959) is a retired United States Army general who served as the 40th chief of staff of the Army from 2019 to 2023. He previously served as the 36th vice chief of staff of the Army from 2017 to 2019.

McConville was born and raised in Massachusetts and was commissioned as an Army officer from the United States Military Academy in 1981. He served as an aviator, becoming a helicopter pilot. He was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan several times, including as the commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, during the Iraq War and as the commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the war in Afghanistan. He became the longest serving commander of the 101st Airborne Division, from 2011 to 2014, and later served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel of the Army from 2015 to 2017.

James Charles McConville was born on 16 March 1959^[1] to Joe and Barbara McConville.^[2] His father was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War.^[2] He was born and raised in the Merrymount neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts, near Boston. He graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree and then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, being commissioned as an Infantry officer in the United States Army after his graduation in 1981.^[3][4] McConville was nominated to the U.S. Military Academy by Senator Ted Kennedy.^[2] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at West Point, a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990, and was a 2002 National Security Fellow at Harvard University.^[5][6] He also attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College,^[2] graduating in 1993.^[7]

McConville became a master army aviator qualified in the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, the AH-64D Longbow Apache, the AH-6, AH-1 Cobra and other aircraft.^[5] Early in his career, McConville's assignments included 2nd Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment in 1982, and command of an air cavalry troop in 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division (Light) at Fort Ord, California, from 1982 to 1986. He was later the S-3 officer for the Flight Concepts Division at Fort Eustis, Virginia, in 1990, S-3 of the 5th Squadron, 9th Cavalry, from 1994 to 1995, then S-3 of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, from 1995 to 1996. McConville was a J5 strategic planner in the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from 1996 to 1998, followed by command of 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment in 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, from 1998 to 2000. He was the division's G-3 officer from 2000 to 2001.^[7][8]

Starting from 2002^[7] McConville commanded the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, a unit with 64 helicopters, including during its deployment in the Iraq War from 2004 to 2005. His air cavalry brigade took part in hundreds of combat missions in Iraq and was selected as the 2004 AAAA Aviation Unit of the Year. McConville was Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from 2005 to 2007, then Deputy Commanding General (Support) for 101st Airborne Division, as well as for Combined Joint Task Force 101 and Regional Command East in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom from 2008 to 2009.^[2][8] Much of his time in Afghanistan was spent focusing on development programs.^[2] Starting from 2009, he was Deputy Chief and Chief of the Office of Legislative Liaison.^[7][8]

He became the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division on 12 August 2011.^[9] During his tenure, the division was deployed to Afghanistan, where he also led Combined Joint Task Force 101 in Regional Command East. McConville commanded the 101st Airborne Division until 20 June 2014, becoming its longest serving commander, and the longest serving division commander in Army history.^[10][6] His next assignment was as Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (G-1) of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.^[10]

He was nominated for appointment as vice chief of staff on 24 April 2017, for chief of staff Mark Milley.^[11][12] On 25 March 2019, McConville was nominated for appointment as chief of staff of the Army.^[13] He took office on 9 August 2019, succeeding Milley, and becoming the first aviator to be the head of the Army.^[6] In that role, he continued the Army modernization program that he had worked on with Milley when he was the vice chief, and presided over the Army's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[14] McConville visited Europe in July 2022, where he met with representatives from the armies of 30 European countries and discussed NATO's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[15] He relinquished office as chief of staff on 4 August 2023.^[16][17][18]

McConville and his wife, Maria, have three children serving in the military.^[5]

• Media related to James C. McConville at Wikimedia Commons