Brig. General John Johns

USA (Retired)

Brigadier General Dr. John H. Johns served as a combat arms officer in the Army for over 26 years, retiring as a brigadier general in 1978. During his career, he served in command assignments up to Assistant Commander of the 1st Infantry Division. He also served in a number of staff positions, including 8 years on the Army General Staff, retiring as the Director of Human Resources Development. He taught leadership and ethics at the U.S. Military Academy and has lectured on ethics at the Air War College, the Army War College, the U.S. Military Academy, and the Naval Academy.

After retirement from active duty, Dr. Johns continued to serve in the Department of Defense until retirement in 1995. He served four years as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Career SES 5) before becoming a Professor of Political Science at the National Defense University at Ft. McNair. In addition to teaching Political Science and Strategic Decision making, he taught a 12 week Ethics course to over 700 students over a 10 year period. From 1990 to 1995, he served as the Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, one of the colleges of the National Defense University teaching courses on the US Constitution and on ethics. From 1996 to 2004, he was an adjunct professor at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Va.

Dr. Johns has an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from the University of Alabama. He has masters’ degrees from Vanderbilt (psychology) and George Washington University (international affairs) and a Ph.D. from American University (sociology). He is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College, The National War College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.