On May 30th, President Obama nominated Admiral James “Sandy” Winnefeld Jr. AE '78, currently commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs.  If the nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Winnefeld would succeed Marine Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright as JCS vice chairman. After graduating with a degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech, Winnefeld was designated as a naval aviator and served as a TOPGUN instructor.  He was also the commander of the USS Enterprise.  

“Sandy knows we have to be prepared for the full range of challenges,” Obama said of Winnefeld, who took on his current commands in May 2010.  In a statement, Gen. Mullen, the chairman of JCS,  praised the appointment of Winnefeld as "extraordinary leader, who will provide the Secretary of Defense and the President not only their best military advice, but also the great benefit of their decades of military experience and their command in combat operations....He will represent faithfully and stridently the 2.2 million men and women in uniform, as well as their families.”