MAJOR GENERAL JAMES D. CLEET
Major General James D. Cleet serves as the Special Assistant to Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. He advises on operations, policies and programs related to the National Guard Forces. He assists the Commander on three distinct mission sets: Aerospace Warning, Aerospace Control and Maritime Warning to deter, detect, deny, and if required defeat threats to the Unites States homeland. Additionally, he serves as NORAD-NORTHCOM Assessor/Authority, executing delegated duties assigned by the Commander in response to homeland defense activities.
General Cleet entered the Air Force in 1991 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He graduated from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), Texas on Sept. 12, 1992, and was appointed as Lead Flight Test Engineer on the B-2A Stealth Bomber, Air Force Material Command. General Cleet completed initial F-16 training in April 1996. Subsequently, he served as an operational F-16 pilot with assignments in PACAF, USAFE, ACC, AFCENT and the Air National Guard while supporting Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, DESERT FOX, NORTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and NOBLE EAGLE. He is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours in the C-130 and F-16 and has flown more than 200 combat sorties, totaling more than 760 combat hours. General Cleet joined the Minnesota National Guard on Aug. 17, 2004. He has served as Weapons Officer, Director of Operations, Squadron Commander at the 148th Fighter Wing, and as the Operations Group, Vice Wing, and Wing Commander at the 133d Airlift Wing, as well as Director of Operations at Joint Force Headquarters.
Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Deputy Director for Joint operations for Fires, Force Protection, Cyber Operations, Information Operations, Integrated Air and Missile Defense and Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications at USEUCOM. He also held the role of Special Assistant to the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR)/1st Air Force Commander where he was a Deputy Joint Forces Air Component Commander.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Squadron Officers School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Joint Combined Warfighting School, Hybrid, Norfolk, Va.
2018 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2020 Wing Commander Executive Level Response Course, by correspondence
2020 USAF Senior Leaders Mission Generation Course, by correspondence
2021 ANG Commander Leadership Course, Washington, D.C.
2021 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Washington, D.C.
2022 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington D.C.
2023 Level IV Antiterrorism Executive Seminar, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va.
2024 Senior Leaders Orientation Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2024 National Security Studies Management Course (NSSMC), Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, N.Y.
2024 Senior Leaders Course, Baltic Defense College, Riga, Latvia
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. July 1991 - October 1992, Student, Pilot Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2. October 1992 - March 1993, B2A Human Factors Engineer, 422nd Test & Evaluation Squadron, Edwards AFB, Cal.
3. March 1993 - June 1995, B2A Lead Flight Test Engineer, 422nd Test & Evaluation Squadron, Edwards AFB, Cal.
4. June 1995 - February 1996, Student, F-16 RTU, 63rd Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5. February 1996 - March 1996, A. Chief Standardization and Evaluation, 13th Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
6. March 1996 - October 1997, Chief of Plans and Mobility, 13th Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
7. October 1997 - July 1999, Flight Commander, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Korea
8. July 1999 - December 1999, Student, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. December 1999 - November 2000, Chief Weapons and Tactics, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Korea
10. November 2000 - April 2002, Chief Weapons, Tactics & Intelligence, 22nd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
11. April 2002 - August 2003, Chief Wing Weapons and Tactics, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
12. August 2003 - August 2004, Chief Wing Inspections, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
13. August 2004 - November 2006, Chief Wing Weapons and Tactics, 148th Fighter Wing, Duluth, Minn.
14. November 2007 - May 2008, Fighter Enhancement Program Manager & Weapons Officer, 148th Fighter Wing, Duluth, Minn.
15. May 2008 - August 2011, Director of Operations, 179th Fighter Squadron, 148th Fighter Wing, Duluth, Minn.
16. August 2011 - February 2014, Commander, 148th Operational Support Squadron/Advanced Program Manager, Duluth, Minn.
17. February 2014 - February 2015, Director of Operations-Air, MNANG, Joint Forces Headquarters, St. Paul, Minn.
18. February 2015 - September 2016, Air Operations Officer, 133rd Operations Group, St. Paul, Minn.
19. September 2016 - September 2018, Commander, 133rd Operations Group, St. Paul, Minn.
20. September 2018 - August 2019, Vice Commander, 133rd Airlift Wing, St. Paul, Minn.
21. August 2019 - June 2023, Commander, 133rd Airlift Wing, St. Paul, Minn.
22. June 2023 - June 2025, Deputy Director of Operations, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
23. July 2025 - November 2025, Special Assistant to the CONR/1st Air Force Commander, Tyndall AFB, Florida
24. December 2025 - Present, Special Assistant to the NORAD/NORTHCOM Commander, Peterson SFB, Colorado
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. Jun 2023 - Jun 2025, Deputy Director for Operations, U.S. European Command, as a Brigadier General
2. Dec 2025 - Present, Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, as a Major General
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,900
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16C+/D/CJ/CM, C-130H3
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with Valor and nine oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991
First Lieutenant May 29, 1993
Captain May 29, 1995
Major April 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 27, 2007
Colonel March 21, 2014
Brigadier General Feb. 17, 2023
Major General Dec. 1, 2025
(Current as of January 2026)
