Career
He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in 1971 through the ROTC program at the University of Alabama.
His previous assignments include the 3rd Infantry Division; U.S. Army Europe and Seventh U.S. Army; Ranger Department, US Army Infantry Center; Company Commander and S3 in the 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; and the original Executive Officer of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at its activation from 1984 until 1987.
Lieutenant General Vines has served in several command and staff assignments within the XVIII Airborne Corps to include joint duty with the Joint Special Operations Command. He served as Commander, 4th Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, during its combat parachute assault in Operation Just Cause and later when the unit was deployed as the first ground combat unit in Operation Desert Shield.
His second tour of joint duty with the Joint Special Operations Command included operations in Somalia; Commander, 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); Assistant Division Commander for Operations, 82d Airborne Division; Chief of Staff, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg; Chief of Office of Military Cooperations, Cairo, Egypt; Commander, 82d Airborne Division from August 2000 until October 2002; Commander, Coalition Task Force 82, in Afghanistan from 1 September 2002 until 1 May 2003; and then Commander, Combined/Joint Task Force-180, Bagram, Afghanistan, until October 2003; Commander, Multi-National Corps Iraq in Baghdad from January 2005 until January 2006.
Throughout his career, Vines asked for assignments with Ranger and Airborne units. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest soldier in the US Army on jump status. Because of his numerous combat commands and his hands-on style, he was considered a role model and a mentor for younger officers. At his retirement ceremony, he was given the accolade, "For the next twenty years, the combat arms commanders will look, act and lead like John Vines."
He holds a BS Degree in Chemistry from the University of Alabama and an MA Degree in National Security and Strategy from the Naval War College.
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