James C . Yarbrough James C . Yarbrough is a retired General in the United States Army . Education . He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from Tulane University in May 1979 and , as a Distinguished Military Graduate , was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry through the Reserve Officers ' Training Corps ( ROTC ) . He earned a Master of Arts Degree in Business Management from Webster University in 1991 and a Master of Strategic Studies in 1999 . Yarbrough ' s military education includes the Infantry Officer ' s Basic and Advanced Courses ; Air Assault , Airborne , Ranger and Pathfinder School s ; Jumpmaster , Military Freefall and Freefall Jumpmaster Courses ; and U . S . Army Command and General Staff College , and the U . S . Army War College . Assignments . His initial assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division ( AASLT ) , where he served as Rifle Platoon Leader and Anti - Tank Platoon Leader in 1st Battalion , 327th Infantry from 1979 - 1981 . He was reassigned to 2nd Ranger Battalion , 75th Infantry , where he served as Rifle Platoon Leader , Company Executive Officer , Battalion S - 3 Air from 1981 – 1984 , and participated in OPERATION URGENT FURY in Grenada . After graduating from the Infantry Officer ' s Advanced Course , he commanded a rifle company in 1st Battalion , 31st Infantry ( MECH ) , Republic of Korea , from 1985 - 1986 . Following company command , he served as Operations Officer and Chief , Current Operations , U . S . Army Special Operations Command , then Aide - de - Camp to Commander , XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg , North Carolina . Next , he served as Battalion S - 3 for 2nd Battalion , 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment ( PIR ) ; then Brigade S - 3 for the 504th PIR before being reassigned as Chief , Theater Operations Branch at US Atlantic Command from 1994 - 1996 . He then commanded 2nd Battalion , 502nd Infantry in the 101st Airborne Division from 1996 - 1998 . Following attendance at the War College , Brigadier General Yarbrough commanded the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza , Italy , from February 1 , 2000 through June 23 , 2002 . As the XVIII Airborne Corps G3 commencing July 2002 , Brigadier General Yarbrough served for 11 months as CJ3 of CJTF - 180 executing Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan , and remained the Assistant Chief of Staff / G3 , XVIII Airborne Corps until July 1 , 2004 . He served as the Deputy Commanding General , United States Army Infantry Center , Fort Benning , Georgia , from July 2004 through July 2006 . On 1 August 2006 he became the Assistant Division Commander ( Operations ) , 1st Infantry Division , Fort Riley , Kansas . In July 2007 , Brigadier General Yarbrough deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom where he assumed command of the Iraq Assistance Group from Brigadier General Dana J . H . Pittard , while still serving as the Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver of the 1st Infantry Division . In July 2008 , he assumed command of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk . In January 2011 , he retired from the U . S . Army and Brig . Gen . Clarence K . K . Chinn , took over his command . Decorations and awards . His personal and unit awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal , Legion Of Merit ( 2 Oak Leaf Clusters ) , Defense Meritorious Service Medal , Army Meritorious Service Medal ( 5 Oak Leaf Clusters ) , Joint Service Commendation Medal , Army Commendation Medal ( 4 Oak Leaf Clusters ) , Joint Service Achievement Medal , Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal , National Defense Service Medal , Southwest Asia Service Medal , Overseas Service Ribbon , Joint Meritorious Service Award , Joint Meritorious Unit Award ( 1 Oak Leaf Cluster ) , Valorous Unit Award , Combat Infantryman Badge , Expert Infantryman Badge , Master Parachutist Badge , Air Assault Badge , Pathfinder Badge , and Ranger Tab .