COL James Young (Ret.)

Jim Young is a retired Colonel with over 30 years of service in the U.S. Army and Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG). Jim is a native of Hartford, Maine and currently resides in Bowdoin, Maine with his wife Jessica and their two children.

Education: Mechanical Engineering BS from Norwich University; Homeland Security Management MS from the University of Maryland University College; and Master of Strategic Studies as a Superior Graduate from the U.S. Army War College.

Experience: Chief of Staff, MEARNG; Commander, 120th Regional Support Group, MEARNG; Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, G5, MEARNG; Director of Logistics, G4, MEARNG; and Commander, 286th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, MEARNG. Deployments and assignments to Poland and the Baltics, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Republic of Korea. Awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, seven Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Why I serve with Honor Flight Maine: I am from a proud military family with veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, so expressing appreciation for wartime service feels natural. During my time at the Pentagon I had the honor of serving with the 60^th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee. More recently I had the privilege of serving as my father’s Guardian when he participated in an Honor Flight. Both activities inspired me to look for a way to serve in a more enduring fashion. For me serving with Honor Flight Maine is a way to stay connected to the military community and show appreciation to our aging veterans.