Retired effective Jan 2, 2001
Brigadier General James A. McDevitt is the chief of staff for the Headquarters Washington Air National Guard. He is responsible for directing and coordinating headquarters staff activities to support the 2,400 members of the Washington Air National Guard.
General McDevitt began his military career by receiving his commission through the United States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. He was activated for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and served as the operations officer for the 1709 Air Refueling Squadron (Provisional) in Saudi Arabia. As a primary flight crew member involved in deployment and combat support missions, his aviation expertise was a key factor in the successful integration of wing resources in wartime deployment operations.
1965 Bachelor of arts degree in sociology, University of Washington, Seattle
1974 Juris doctor degree, Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, Wash.
1975 Masters degree in business administration, Gonzaga University School of Business, Spokane, Wash.
1982 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1991 National Security Management Course
1. January 1966 - May 1967, student, undergraduate navigator training and navigator/bombardier training, Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
2. May 1967 - October 1968, B-52G navigator, 668th Bomb Squadron, Griffis Air Force Base, N.Y.
3. October 1968 - January 1971, F-4D/E weapons systems officer and standard/evaluation flight examiner, 336thTactical Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
4. January 1971 - May 1974, weapons systems officer, 116th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
5. August 1974 - July 1976, weapons systems officer and standardization/evaluation flight examiner, 141st Fighter Interceptor Group, Spokane International Airport, Wash.
6. July 1976 - October 1978, navigator, 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
8. October 1978 - April 1981, KC-135A instructor navigator, 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
10. April 1981 - December 1984, KC-135 navigator, 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
11. December 1984 - March 1987, assistant flight commander, 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
13. March 1987 - February 1990, flight commander , 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
14. February 1990 - December 1991, commander, 116th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
15. December 1991 - October 1995, director of operations, Headquarters, Washington Air National Guard, Camp Murray, Wash.
16. October 1995 - January 2001, chief of staff, Headquarters, Washington Air National Guard, Camp Murray, Wash.
Rating: Master navigator
Flight hours: More than 4,777
Aircraft flown: T-29, B-52G, F-4D/E, F-101B/F, KC-135A/E
Navigator wings from: Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
Meritorious Service Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with six oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service Award with seven oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Washington Air National Guard Aerial Achievement Medal
Washington Air National Guard Commendation Medal
Partner in the law firm of Preston, Gates and Ellis, P.S., Spokane, Wash.
Second Lieutenant Dec 17, 1965
First Lieutenant Jan 23, 1969
Captain Jan 5, 1971
Major Jul 1, 1979
Lieutenant Colonel Dec 11, 1985
Colonel Dec 8, 1991
Brigadier General Sep 25, 1996
(Current as of February 2001)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.