Darren James Email & Phone Number

Mascoutah, Illinois, United States

Solely responsible for management, development, planning and community relations for the airport, which operates under a Joint Use Agreement with Scott Air Force Base. Directs projects related to air service expansion, business and land use development, strategic business planning, and tenant relations.

Mascoutah, Illinois, United States

Directed operations and maintenance functions for the airport, which operates under a Joint Use Agreement with Scott Air Force Base. Responsible for all facets of 14 CFR Part 139 Airport Certification and 49 CFR Part 1542 Airport Security.

O'Fallon, Illinois, United States

Currently, Strategic Advisor to the Chairman and the Director, Military Affairs, St Clair County, Illinois. Led Working Group chartered to reduce barriers to Illinois licensure portability and assure education criteria accuracy, ensuring the ability to support Department of Defense current and future missions, enhance retainability, and improve quality of life or military families. Developed and executed strategy to understand the quantitative criteria of the Department of the Air Force framework which assessed both the quality of public education offered by school districts that service Scott Air Force Base and overall Illinois licensure portability. Authored and coordinated a state bill to improve Illinois licensure portability. Bill passed and was signed by the Illinois Governor. Enacted law will cut license processing time by 50%!

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Scott Air Force Base, Il

Single focal point and enterprise lead for the integration of all Air Mobility Command efforts in support of the fielding, employment and sustainment of the KC-46A. Developed multi-organization team, driving formulation and execution of over 50 Plans of Action and Milestones.

Scott Air Force Base Il

Responsible for strategic policy, guidance, oversight and providing forces for rapid global mobility air operations around the world. Led over 500 personnel providing oversight of Civil Reserve Air Fleet management and commercial carrier compliance, command and control and air operations center functional management, nuclear operations, global force management, aircrew training, aircrew standardization and evaluation, joint exercise and commanders training guidance.

Scott Air Force Base Il

Vice Commander of the Department of Defense’s largest Numbered Air Force, ensuring readiness and logistical support of approximately 36,000 active duty, Air Force Reserve and civilian Airmen at 12 wings and one stand-alone group. With more than 400 aircraft, the 18th Air Force supports Air Mobility Command’s worldwide mission of providing rapid global mobility to America’s armed forces through airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation. Directed daily operations while executing over 76,000 missions delivering 2.1M passengers and 829,000 short-tons of cargo. Led Air Mobility Command implementation of the National Defense strategy, ensuring both the lethality and speed of mobility force employment.

Doha, Qatar

Commanded the most diverse U.S. Air Forces Central Air Expeditionary Wing comprised of 9,400 personnel executing 29,000 combat sorties. The composite wing includes strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mobility, aeromedical evacuation and command and control assets. • Built and fostered critical relationships with Government of Qatar, Senior Defense Ministry and Department of State officials. Led strategy development, financial planning and execution of a $60M infrastructure upgrade, addressing serious deficiencies and ensuring the health and welfare of installation residents. Managed the largest Military Construction program in the Middle East of over $274M.

Scott Air Force Base Il

Led U.S. Transportation Command’s J-3 Directorate operations with daily oversight of over 1,100 surface and 500 airlift/aerial refueling missions in the Defense Transportation System, supporting the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise. Extensive experience operating within the Transportation Working Capital Fund. Executed four multi-Combatant Command exercises, and led through the highest visibility issues such as afloat Syrian chemical weapons disposal and the directorate’s Ebola response, enabling delivery of 28,000 personnel. Managed efforts to accelerate Afghanistan retrograde operations, ensuring the complete success of the President of the United States-directed force level drawdown.

Vance Air Force Base Ok

Commanded and solely responsible for 31 diverse wing agencies and allocated $108M annually to support training resources worth over $1.5B. Directly responsible to Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command for training the next generation of pilots for the Air Force, Navy, and Allied partners. Responsible for quality of life for over 2,500 personnel (989 officers, 388 enlisted, and 1,200 civilians and contractors) assigned to the wing. Maintained 334 facilities on 31,000 acres valued at over $365M, while administering an $81M annual maintenance and base operating support umbrella contract.

Charleston Air Force Base Sc

Assisted commander with formulating plans and establishing policy for Air Mobility Command’s largest strategic airlift wing of 54 C-17s valued at $10.9B. Led Operations and Maintenance Groups, as well as four Wing staff agencies to organize, train and equip forces for global employment. Managed a total budget of more than $660M.

Camp H. M. Smith Hi

Commander, U.S. Transportation Command representative to Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; advised commander and staff on force deployment and sustainment operations. Served as theater expert on transportation service doctrine, procedures, and common user structures, and as the focal point for U.S. Transportation Command lift capability, crisis action response, and deliberate planning activities. Guided distribution support to the world’s largest geographic combatant command. Direction led to successful execution of missions delivering 600 tons of life saving cargo in response to 8.3 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in American Samoa. Coordinated and synchronized logistics response in support of authorized departure from Japan following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami and subsequent radiation leak at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Identified transportation options to safely evacuate over 5,000 family members.

National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. Mcnair Washington D.C.

Excelled in a challenging Industry Study focused on aircraft, finishing with Top Student Honors; wrote an exceptionally compelling individual paper about the shortfall in military air transport.

Dover Air Force Base De

Commanded and solely responsible for one of only two Active Duty C-5 Squadrons, providing the nation's only outsized cargo carrying capability in Air Mobility Command’s C-5s. Responsible for planning and organizing all unit flying and training activities, ensuring combat readiness of 240 aircrew members. Instituted programs and procedures in response to Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force and Air Mobility Command taskings, including 100% of JCS-directed C-5 alerts.

Various

Served in various capacities and locations as a leader and pilot in the Air Force.

Master Of Science - Ms, Military National Resource Strategy And Policy

Master Of Science - Ms, Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science And Technology, General

Master Of Science - Ms, Military Operational Art And Science/Studies

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Human Factors Engineer