(USMA Press Release) Maj. Gen. James B. Bartholomees III was promoted to lieutenant general and officially took command of the U.S. Military Academy as the 62nd Superintendent, succeeding Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, during a change of command ceremony on Monday, August 17, in Eisenhower Hall.

A 1995 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Bartholomees most recently served as Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College and US Army War College.

He also served as the G3 and Chief of Staff of U.S. Army Pacific, and Executive Officer to the Director of the Army Staff. He commanded the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) in Europe, the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord as well as 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

His previous field grade assignments include Operations Officer, Executive Officer and Deputy Commander, 75th Ranger Regiment, as well as Liaison Officer and Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

His previous company grade assignments include Company Command and Staff in 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, as well as 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He began his Army career as a Platoon Leader in the 82nd Airborne Division and Platoon Leader in 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

His peacekeeping deployments include Haiti with the 82nd Airborne Division in 1996 and Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 3rd Infantry Division in 2000 – 2001. He deployed several times to Iraq including the initial assault with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in 2003 as well as multiple deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2016.

Bartholomees is married and has four children.

“For nearly 225 years, the United States Military Academy has been synonymous with leadership, a wellspring of professional excellence producing generations of leaders of character who have led the Army and Nation in peace and war, unified by the ideals that serve as the bedrock of this institution: Duty, Honor, Country,” said Bartholomees.

“I am honored by the opportunity to lead this extraordinary institution and its outstanding team of professionals.”

Gilland, who served as Superintendent since June 2022, retires from the U.S. Army after 36 years of service.

“The U.S. Military Academy is far more than an institution. It is a place of purpose, character, and selfless service. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as one of its stewards,” said Gilland.