James Edwin McPhersonRegister of commissioned and warrant officers of the United States Navy and reserve officers on active duty (1985)
/ref> (born January 20, 1953)California Birth Index
/ref> is an American government official and retired

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

rear admiral. He served as the

General Counsel of the Army The General Counsel of the Army (also known as the Army General Counsel, abbreviated AGC) is the chief legal officer of the U.S. Department of the Army and senior legal advisor to the Secretary of the Army. U.S. law provides that the General Co ...

from January 2, 2018, to March 24, 2020. He served as the

United States Under Secretary of the Army The United States under secretary of the Army is the second-highest-ranking civilian official of the United States Department of the Army, serving directly under the United States Secretary of the Army. The Secretary and Under Secretary, togethe ...

from March 25, 2020, to January 20, 2021, and in acting capacity from July 23, 2019, to March 24, 2020. He served as Acting

United States Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

from April 7, 2020, to May 29, 2020, following the resignation of

Thomas Modly Thomas B. Modly (born December 15, 1960) is an American businessman and former government official who served as acting United States Secretary of the Navy from November 24, 2019, to April 7, 2020. He resigned as acting Secretary in the wake of ...

Education

McPherson is a native of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

. He graduated from

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

in 1977 with an undergraduate degree in public administration. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1981 from the

University of San Diego School of Law The University of San Diego School of Law (USD Law) is the law school of the University of San Diego, a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1954, the law school has held ABA approval since 1961. I ...

, and in 1991, he was awarded a Master of Laws degree in Military Law from

The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, also known as The JAG School or TJAGLCS, is a graduate-level division federal service academy located on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. The center is ...

at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Career

McPherson enlisted in the Army in 1972, and served three years as a military policeman, before leaving the Army for college. In 1979 he was commissioned as an ensign in the

Judge Advocate General's Corps The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called jud ...

of the Naval Reserve. He interned in the Naval Legal Service Office (NLSO) in San Diego and then attended Naval Justice School, in Newport, R.I., completing his training in 1982. He served as a judge advocate and trial counsel at several Navy commands and ships before and after completing his graduate training in 1991. In June 1994, he reported to the staff of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet as the Force Judge Advocate. In December 1995, he joined the staff of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations as the Assistant for Legal and Legislative Matters. In October 1997, he became Special Counsel to the Chief of Naval Operations. In September 2000, he assumed command of Trial Service Office East, Norfolk, Va. In October 2002, he was promoted to rear admiral and assigned as the

Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy The Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy (DJAG)
10 USC 5149 Office of the Judge Advocate General: Deputy Judge Ad ...

and Commander of Naval Legal Service Command. On November 10, 2004, McPherson became the 39th

Judge Advocate General of the Navy The Judge Advocate General of the Navy (JAG) is the highest-ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The Judge Advocate General is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations o ...

, a position he held until 2006. McPherson has served as the executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General. He also served as the general counsel of the Department of Defense Counterintelligence Field Activity. On October 13, 2017, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

announced the nomination of McPherson to become the General Counsel of the

United States Department of the Army The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is or ...

. The

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed his nomination by

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding vo ...

on December 20. He was sworn in on January 2, 2018. On December 5, 2019, Trump nominated him to be

Under Secretary of the Army The United States under secretary of the Army is the second-highest-ranking civilian official of the United States Department of the Army, serving directly under the United States Secretary of the Army. The Secretary and Under Secretary, togethe ...

, a position that he had been holding since July 23, 2019, in an acting capacity, while concurrently serving as General Counsel of the Army. He was sworn in on March 25, 2020, after being confirmed by the Senate. Defense Secretary

Mark Esper Mark Thomas Esper (born April 26, 1964) is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously served as the 23rd ...

designated McPherson as Acting

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

on April 7, replacing

who resigned the same day. In relation to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic on USS Theodore Roosevelt McPherson and Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral

Michael M. Gilday Michael Martin Gilday (born October 10, 1962) is a United States Navy officer who has served as the 32nd Chief of Naval Operations, chief of naval operations since August 22, 2019. Gilday has commanded two Destroyer, destroyers, served as Directo ...

recommended that Brett Crozier be reinstated as the commanding officer of the Roosevelt on April 25, 2020.

Award

McPherson is a recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

Personal life

He and his wife Jennifer are married and have two adult children.James E. McPherson - General Counsel of the Army
/ref>

References

External links

United States Army
biography * , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:McPherson, James E. 1953 births General Counsels of the United States Army Judge Advocates General of the United States Navy Lawyers from San Diego Living people San Diego State University alumni The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School alumni Trump administration personnel United States Army soldiers United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) United States Secretaries of the Navy United States Under Secretaries of the Army University of San Diego School of Law alumni