Director, Stability Directorate (SCST), United States Southern Command

Major General James G. 'Greg' Champion leads the Stability Directorate, United States Southern Command, Miami, Florida. The Stability Directorate executes theater engagement operations and activities that build partner nation capacity for enhancing democracy, stability, and collective approaches to regional security. The directorate integrates all engagement tools in support of the Commander's strategic objectives. General Champion has primary responsibility for Humanitarian Assistance, Human Rights, Education Outreach, Security Assistance, Security Cooperation, Training and Exercises, Science and Technology, Innovation and Experimentation, Modeling and Simulation, and the National Guard State Partnership Program and execution of Traditional Commander's Activities.

General Champion began his military service in 1978. He was commissioned as an Infantry officer following completion of Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. General Champion has held every 18 series leadership position an officer can hold in a Special Forces Group including Battalion and Group command. He was the Assistant to the Director Army National Guard for Deployment Issues and was the Director's principle advisor on deployment for the Army National Guard forces with emphasis on the Global War on Terrorism and Homeland Security. In that position, General Champion was responsible for Army National Guard issues related to the deployment of forces to the southwest border. While serving as Commander, 20th Special Forces Group, he commanded the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A), Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom III. Subsequent to this first tour in Afghanistan, General Champion was Deputy Commanding General, Operations, Combined Joint Task Force 76, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, where he oversaw all aspects of the plans, operations and intelligence collection and managed the Afghanistan-Pakistan border security process.

EDUCATION:

1975 University of Southern Mississippi, Bachelor of Art, Political Science, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1978 University of Mississippi, Juris Doctor, Oxford, Mississippi
1999 United States Army War College, by correspondence
2006 Harvard University, National Security Course, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2008 CAPSTONE, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Columbia

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. October 1978 - November 1979, Platoon Leader, Company B, 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry, Mississippi Army National Guard, Natchez, Mississippi
2. December 1979 - December 1982, Executive Officer, Special Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Columbus, Mississippi
3. January 1983 - September 1986, Detachment Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Columbus, Mississippi
4. October 1986 - October 1988, S-2, Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
5. October 1988 - December 1990, Commander, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Columbus, Mississippi
6. January 1991 - February 1991, Executive Officer, Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
7. February 1991 - August 1991, S-3, Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
8. September 1993 - February 1994, Executive Officer, Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
9. March 1994 - October 1996, Commander, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
10. November 1996 - August 1997, Chief, Training Division, Headquarters, State Area Command, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
11. August 1997 - March 1998, Training Evaluation Officer, Headquarters, State Area Command, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
12. March 1998 - October 1999, Deputy Director, Operations and Training, Headquarters, State Area Command, Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Mississippi
13. November 1999 - January 2001, Commander 154th Regiment (Regional Training Institute), Mississippi Army National Guard, Camp Shelby, Mississippi
14. February 2001 - April 2002, Commander, 20th Special Forces Group, Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
15. May 2002 - June 2003, Commander, 20th Special Forces Group; concurrently served as (September 2002 - March 2003) Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Afghanistan, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
16. July 2003 - November 2003, Commander, 20th Special Forces Group, Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
17. December 2003 - October 2004, Deputy Chief of Staff Information Management, Headquarters, Joint Force Headquarters, Alabama Army National Guard, Montgomery, Alabama
18. October 2004 - March 2006, Deputy Commanding General, Operations, Southern European Task Force, Vicenza, Italy; concurrently served as Deputy Commanding General, Operations, Combined Joint Task Force-76, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, March 2005-February 2006
19. April 2006 - June 2007, Assistant to the Director, Army National Guard for Deployment Issues, Alabama Army National Guard, Arlington, Virginia
20. July 2007 - May 2008, Director, Innovation and Experimentation (J-7), United States Southern Command, Miami, Florida
21. June 08 - June 2009, Director, Stability Directorate, United States Southern Command, Miami, Florida

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal (with1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass, M Devices, and Numeral 3)
Army Service Ribbon
Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with Numeral 3)
Master Parachutists Badge
Special Forces Tab
Combat Infantryman Badge
Expert Infantryman Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant USAR (Control Group) 14 May 1978
Second Lieutenant ARNG 2 October 1978
First Lieutenant ARNG 31 May 1981
Captain ARNG 23 June 1983
Major ARNG 15 December 1988
Lieutenant Colonel ARNG 24 March 1994
Colonel ARNG 25 September 1998
Brigadier General (LINE) ARNG 1 October 2004
Major General (LINE) ARNG 4 June 2008