Lt. Gen. Daniel James III was the director of the Air National Guard from 3 June 2002 to 20 May 2006 and is the son of famed General Daniel James, Jr.. He retired from the United States Air Force in June 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, from the University of Arizona, Tucson, and attended Air Command and staff college in 1981 and the National Security management course in 1992. He performed 500 combat flying hours on southeast Asia and earned two distinguished flying crosses. He was the first African-American to become the director of the Air National Guard