Colonel James B. Stephenson was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the ROTC program at the University of Tennessee in August 1985. In October 1986, he entered Active Duty and attended the Aviation Officer Basic Course, Initial Entry Flight Training (Aero-Scout Track) and the AH-1 Cobra transition at Fort Rucker, Alabama. His initial assignment was Aero-weapons Platoon Leader, P Troop, 4th Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (4/2 ACR), Feucht Army Airfield, Germany. He also held the positions of Squadron Border Officer/Assistant Operations Officer and deployed as an Aero-weapons Platoon leader during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm in 1990-1991. Upon completion of his initial tour with the 4/2 ACR, Colonel Stephenson attended the Aviation Officers Advanced Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama and the Cavalry Leaders Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In August 1992 Colonel Stephenson was assigned to the 25th Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii where he served as the 1st Attack Battalion Assistant Operations Officer/Plans and commanded C Troop, 5th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment. His follow-on assignment was to the 19th Theater Army Area Command, Des Moines, Iowa as the Aircraft Configuration Officer from April 1996 to March 2001. Colonel Stephenson returned to Hawaii and held various positions in the 9th Regional Support Command, Fort Shafter from April 2001 to August 2004. He served as the Aviation Plans & Policy Officer, Force Programs Officer and Force Development Officer. In August 2004 Colonel Stephenson was assigned as an Observer/Controller with the Echelons Above Division Team, Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana. From August 2006 to March 2009, he performed duties as the Full-Time Support Division Chief, United States Army Reserve Command (USARC), Fort McPherson, Georgia. Colonel Stephenson deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from April 2009 to April 2010. He served as the Chief, Force Integration Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq and as the Deputy Director, Plans and Operations, Iraqi Training Assistance Mission, US Forces-Iraq (Forward). Upon redeployment he served as the Force Management Division Chief, G3/5/7, USARC until his reassignment as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G3/5/7, 11th Aviation Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky in January 2011. In May 2013 he assumed duties as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the 11th Aviation Command until his retirement from Active Duty in August 20215.

While in the civilian sector Colonel Stephenson held positions with Cargill Incorporated as a Commodity Trader and Grain Handling Faculties Manager from May 1995 - April 2001. From 2015 - 2023 he was employed by L3 Training and Simulation, L3Harris and CAE. He served in various positions as a Program Manager and Aviation Training Center Manager. He managed the Continuous Improvement Program at the US Army Fight School, Fort Rucker, AL; Simulator Maintenance Programs for the Taiwan Military and Royal Saudi Land Forces. His last position was Aviation Training Center Manager in Arlington, TX. He retired in 2023. He joined the Georgetown Country School District, South Carolina to stand-up the Waccamaw High School Army Junior ROTC Program in January 2026.

His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Aviation Officer Basic Course, Air Assault Course,  Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course, AH-1 Qualification Course, Aviation Officer Advance Course, Cavalry Leaders Course, Aviation Maintenance Managers Course, Combined Army Staff Services School, Command and General Staff College, Force Management Course, Support Operations Course, Reserve Component National Security Course, Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Multi-Engine Fixed-wing Qualification Course, and the Army War College.

Colonel Stephenson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee in 1986. He also holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with three Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with bronze oak leaf cluster), National Defense Service (with Bronze Star), Southwest Asia Service Medal (with three Bronze Service Stars), Iraq Campaign Medal (with one Bronze Service Star), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Service Medal (with silver Hourglass and “M” devices), Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with numeral “4”), Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with numeral “3”), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), Valorous Unit award, Joint Meritorious Unit award (with bronze oak leaf cluster), Senior Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge. COL Stephenson additionally has been awarded the 3L, Joint Qualified Officer, identifier.

Colonel Stephenson is married to the former Lene’ Vaughn and currently lives in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. 

Sergeant First Class (Retired) Ernest L. Lambert, Jr. entered the United States Army in May 2002 from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and trained as a Field Artillery Fire Control Specialist (MOS 13J). Early in his career he supported 105mm and 155mm howitzer battalions with the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, training and certifying multiple Fire Direction Centers and maintaining accountability for more than $750,000 in mission-critical communications and targeting equipment. During this period he deployed in support of combat operations in Iraq on three separate tours (August 2005 to December 2006, October 2007 to December 2008, and August 2010 to June 2011) accumulating more than four years of total overseas service over the course of his career. He was repeatedly hand-selected as a Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) Observer/Controller-Trainer and Warfighter Exercise Response Cell NCOIC in recognition of his technical acumen and doctrinal expertise, and his feedback was later incorporated into U.S. Army artillery training manuals.

From 2014 to 2017, while assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, as a Senior Fire Control Sergeant and Digital Master Gunner, he certified six battery-level Fire Direction Centers, deployed in support of multinational live-fire exercises with Japan and New Zealand, and helped raise unit certification scores to 97.5 percent; the digital fire-mission certification programs he developed were later adopted across multiple battalions. From 2017 to 2021, Sergeant First Class Lambert served as an Adjunct Professor of Military Science with Army ROTC at Kentucky State University, the University of Kentucky, and Asbury University, mentoring cadets across three campuses (including an HBCU) toward commissioning as Second Lieutenants, and serving as the program's sole certified Master Resilience Trainer. In 2021 he deployed to Camp Casey, Republic of Korea, as Operations Sergeant Major, directing mission planning for live-fire operations from company to Eighth Army level and leading Quick Reaction Force readiness through the COVID-19 period, before retiring from active duty in May 2022, after 20 years of service.

His military education includes the U.S. Army Master Gunner Program (Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, OK), the Joint Firepower Course, the Advanced Leader Course and Senior Leader Course (Fort Sill, OK), the Army Basic Instructor Course (Fort Sill, OK), Instructor Facilitator Training (Fort Knox, KY), Master Resilience Trainer Certification (Fort Knox, KY), Advanced AFATDS Training (Fort Wainwright, AK), the Basic Leadership Course (Fort Stewart, GA), the Cadre Training Course (Fort Sill, OK), and FBCB2 Leader OPNET Certification (Fort Wainwright, AK).

Sergeant First Class Lambert received his Bachelor of Education degree in Secondary Education, Social Studies, with minors in Political Science and Leadership, from the University of Kentucky in 2021, graduating with Dean's List honors.

His military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (multiple awards), the Army Achievement Medal (multiple awards), the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Combat Action Badge, the Army Instructor Identification Badge, the Expert Marksmanship Badge, and the Driver and Mechanic Badge. He maintained a 280+ APFT score throughout his career and consistently earned the Army Physical Fitness Badge. He has also been honored with the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara for exceptional contribution to the U.S. Field Artillery branch.

Since leaving active duty, Sergeant First Class Lambert served as the JROTC Army Instructor at Estill County High School in Irvine, Kentucky, beginning in 2023, where he instructed cadets in leadership development, military history, citizenship, and physical fitness. He built a structured leadership development program that gave cadets ownership of daily unit operations, established partnerships with local veterans' organizations to expand mentorship opportunities for cadets, and has been recognized by school leadership for his curriculum development and mentorship impact.

Sergeant First Class Lambert is married to his wife, Jessica, and lives with his younger children in Andrews, South Carolina.