James T . Hill General James Thomas Hill ( born October 8 , 1946 ) is a retired U . S . Army General and former commander of United States Southern Command from 2002 to 2004 . Hill also served as the Commanding General , I Corps and Fort Lewis . Military career . Hill is from El Paso , Texas , and was commissioned into the Infantry following graduation from Trinity University in San Antonio , Texas , in 1968 . A graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the National War College , he also holds a Master ' s degree in Personnel Management from Central Michigan University . After completion of the Infantry Officers Basic , Ranger , and Airborne Courses , and an initial assignment at Fort Hood , Texas , Hill served with the 2 - 502nd Infantry , part of the 101st Airborne Division ( Airmobile ) , in the Republic of Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader , recon platoon leader , company executive officer , and company commander . Hill ' s other key assignments include Company Commander , 3d Ranger Company , Fort Benning and Commander , Company A , 2d Squadron , 7th Cavalry , Fort Hood ; Battalion Operations Officer and Battalion Commander , 1 - 35th Infantry , Schofield Barracks ; Staff Officer , Strategy , Plans and Policy Directorate , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , HQDA ; Aide - de - Camp to the Chief of Staff of the Army , and Special Project Officer for the Chief of Staff of the Army . General Hill commanded the " Always First " Brigade , 101st Airborne Division ( Air Assault ) from August 1989 through July 1991 , to include service in Southwest Asia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . General Hill served as Chief of Staff of the 101st Airborne Division ( Air Assault ) from August 1991 through October 1992 . General Hill then served as the Assistant Deputy Director for Politico - Military Affairs on the Joint Staff from October 1992 to July 1994 . In July 1994 , he assumed duties as the Assistant Division Commander ( Support ) , 25th Infantry Division ( Light ) to include service in Haiti as the Deputy Commanding General , Multinational Force and Deputy Commander , United States Forces , Haiti , United Nations Mission , Haiti . He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff , Operations , United States Army Forces Command , from June 1995 to June 1997 . He became Commanding General , 25th Infantry Division ( Light ) in June 1997 , and served in that position until he was named Commanding General , I Corps and Fort Lewis , in September 1999 . From 2002 until his retirement , Gen . Hill was the Commanding General of the United States Southern Command [ SOUTHCOM ] , overseeing all US military forces in Central and South America General Hill ' s military decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal , Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters , Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster , Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters , Bronze Star with Valor device and two Oak Leaf Clusters , Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster , Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters , Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device and five Oak Leaf Clusters , Combat Infantryman Badge , Ranger Tab , Air Assault Badge , Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge , and Army General Staff Identification Badge . Post military . Hill joined the Board of Trustees for Fraunhofer USA , a bio - technology firm , in 2006 . He is also the founder of the J . T . Hill Group , a consulting firm in Coral Gables , Florida . In addition , he an advisor to and on the board of The Protective Group , a Texas - based security firm , and a consultant to Northrop Grumman and the Center for Molecular Biology and Enterprise Technology Partners . He remains involved in Latin American affairs , writing a regular column for the Colombian magazine PODER , and serving on the board of United for Colombia , a non - profit organization for providing medical treatment to landmine victims in Colombia . In Coral Gables he serves on the city ' s Emergency Management Committee , and he is a national advisor to The Military Child Education Coalition .