Maj. Gen. Jim Bonner is a native of Anna, Illinois, and received a Regular Army commission in May 1988 as a distinguished military graduate from Southern Illinois University. He assumed his position as Commanding General of the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence in June of 2020. His military education includes the Chemical Officer’s Basic and Advanced Courses, Basic Airborne School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Pathfinder School, The United States Command and General Staff College (CGSC), and the U.S. Naval War College. He holds Master’s Degrees in both Administration from Central Michigan University and National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College.
MG Bonner’s previous assignments include Battalion Chemical Officer, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Platoon Leader, 91st Chemical Company, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized); Brigade Chemical Officer, 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division; Battalion Operations Officer, 83rd Chemical Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps; Company Commander,101st Chemical Company, 83rd Chemical Battalion; Plans and Policy Officer J-5 and Counter-Proliferation Planner J-3, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC); Special Assistant for Countering WMD Terrorism, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Battalion S3 and Battalion Executive Officer, 23rd Chemical Battalion; the LTC/MAJ Assignment Officer and Chief of Chemical Branch at Human Resources Command; Battalion Commander, 23rd Chemical Battalion; Deputy Commanding Officer, 3rd Chemical Brigade; Executive Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Joint Operations (DCOS JOPS), International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC); and Brigade Commander, 3rd Chemical Brigade.
Previous general officer assignments include HQDA G8, Director of Materiel and Chief Full Dimension Protection Division; 29th Chief of Chemical/Commandant, United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School, United States Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and 7th Commanding General of 20th CBRNE Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.
MG Bonner’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Meritorious Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Superior Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, NATO Medal (ISAF), Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge with Bronze Star, Pathfinder Badge, the Army Staff Identification Badge, Thailand, Australian and German Parachutist Badges. BG Bonner wears the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Scroll as his Combat Patch.
