General James Conway, USMC (Ret.)

General James Conway Bio

General James T. Conway served as the 34th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. As Commandant, General Conway served as the senior uniformed Marine responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of over 250,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel throughout the United States and overseas, as well as the management of the $40 billion annual Marine Corps budget.Prior to becoming the Commandant, General Conway served for four years on the Joint Chiefs of Staff as J-3, or senior operations officer in the U.S. military, where he oversaw the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Conway functioned as a military advisor to the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the President.Previously, Conway was the President of the Marine Corps University, Commanding General of 1st Marine Division, and Commander of 90,000 U.S. and British forces during the invasion of Iraq.During his tenure, the Marine Corps experienced growth of 27,000 additional personnel, undertook major military construction efforts at bases and stations throughout the United States, and the integrated multiple next-generation weapons systems into the inventory.  General Conway initiated new programs for the care of wounded warriors and brought Marine Corps family programs onto a war-time footing.  He is best known for his out-going manner, pragmatic approach, and effective communication skills. General Conway retired from active duty in late 2010 after 40 years of service.

He attended Southeast Missouri University; the Seminar XXI M.I.T. Fellowship Program; and the JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Seminar of International Relations.  He has been married to his wife, Annette, for 41 years.  They have three children: two sons who are serving as majors in the Marine Corps, and a daughter, who is married to a Marine Cobra pilot.

General Conway enjoys fly-fishing, hunting, golfing, kayaking, and grandchildren.