Brig. Gen. Jonathan D. George served in a variety of military and government positions. These include Director of Strategic Capabilities Policy, a member of the National Security Council, and as a national security adviser to the President from March 2009 until February 2011. In the May 2012 primary, George unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

in Indiana's 9th Congressional district.

Early life and education

George was raised on a farm near Bedford Indiana, playing a variety of sports in high school. He is a direct relative of Comanche Chief

Quanah Parker Quanah Parker (Comanche ''kwana'', "smell, odor") ( – February 23, 1911) was a war leader of the Kwahadi ("Antelope") band of the Comanche Nation. He was likely born into the Nokoni ("Wanderers") band of Tabby-nocca and grew up among the Kwah ...

, and as such is a member of the Comanche Nation. George lived out of his truck while saving up money for his own farm in the early 1980s. George received his bachelor's degree in agronomy and education from

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Southern Illinois University (SIU or SIUC) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university enrolls students from all 50 s ...

in 1979. He went on to receive a master's degree in public administration from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1990. He served as a

White House Fellow The White House Fellows program is a federal fellowship program established via Executive Order by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964, based upon a suggestion from John W. Gardner, then the president of Carnegie Corp ...

during the

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

Administration in the Department of Agriculture.

Air Force

George stated that he joined the air force because of the

Iranian Hostage Crisis On November 4, 1979, 52 United States diplomats and citizens were held hostage after a group of militarized Iranian college students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over t ...

. George became a commissioned officer in 1981 and served as a command pilot accumulating more than 4,000 flying hours. He flew in classified U-2 spy planes during his career. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 2006, managing over 12,000 personal and a budget of $US3 billion before turning down the promotion of major general before his retirement. During his military career, he rose to become a prominent officer who helped to lead transition assistance issues in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. He also served on the National Security Council staff as an advisor on key strategic policy issues to President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

. In the Air Force he was awarded several awards for acts of bravery, including his saving of a disabled U-2 plane while risking his own life. He retired from the military in February 2011 and returned to Indiana.

2012 Congressional campaign

In October 2011 George, a Democrat, announced his bid for Indiana's 9th District Democratic Congressional primary. He was opposed by John W. Tilford of Bloomington, Robert Winningham of Charlestown, John Griffin Miller of Corydon, and Shelli Yoder of Bloomington. George lost the primary to

Shelli Yoder Shelli Renee Yoder (born August 30, 1968) is an American politician serving in the Indiana Senate for Monroe County, Indiana from Senate District 40. A former Miss Indiana and a Miss America 1993 contestant, Yoder has held positions at a number ...

, who in turn lost to incumbent Congressman

Todd Young Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator for Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previously served as the U.S. r ...

in the general election in the newly redrawn 9th Congressional district.

Personal

George lives on a farm in Bedford, Indiana with his wife and children.

References

External links

Jonathan George for U.S. Congress
official campaign site * {{DEFAULTSORT:George, Jonathan D. Living people Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Harvard Kennedy School alumni Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumni Year of birth missing (living people)