The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is proud to host a Directors' Lunch on "Strategic Command Vision and Issues" with General James E. Cartwright, Commander, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
General Cartwright is responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces (USSTRATCOM) to meet decisive national security objectives. USSTRATCOM provides a broad range of strategic capabilities and options for the President and Secretary of Defense: mission areas include full-spectrum global strike, space operations, computer network operations, Department of Defense information operations, strategic warning, integrated missile defense, and global C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and specialized expertise to the joint warfighter.
During General Cartwright's tenure with the military, he has had a wide range of jobs from the operational - Commanding General, First Marine Aircraft Wing (2000-2002), Deputy Commanding General Marine Forces Atlantic (1999-2000), Commander Marine Aircraft Group 31 (1994-1996) - to the staff assignments including Director for Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, J-8 the Joint Staff (2002-2004) and Deputy Aviation Plans, Policy, and Budgets Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps (1993-1994).
General Cartwright was named the Outstanding Carrier Aviator by the Association of Naval Aviation in 1983. He graduated with distinction from the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB 1986, and received his Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island 1991. He was selected for and completed a fellowship with Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.
