SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - The Senate confirmed Brig. Gen. James L. Hodge, commanding general, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), for promotion to the grade of major general Oct. 2.

Hodge took command of SDDC at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., June 30, shortly after he returned from an assignment as commanding general (Forward) Army Materiel Command Forward and Army's Coalition Forces Land Component Command's C4 (Logistics and supply), Southwest Asia. He also served as SDDC's deputy commanding general from August 2005 to September 2007.

Hodge is a native of Norton, Ohio. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in the class of 1978 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. Upon completion of the Transportation Officer Basic Course, he was assigned as a platoon leader in the 7th Transportation Group, Fort Eustis, Virginia.

His past assignments include serving as Movements Officer and Data Base Analyst, 4th Transportation Brigade, Oberursel, Germany; Operations Research Analyst and Assignments Officer, U.S. Army Personnel Command, Alexandria, Va; Supply Officer (S4), 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash; Transportation Staff Officer, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany; Logistics Action Officer, Officer Personnel Management System XXI Task Force, U.S. Personnel Command, Alexandria, Va; Logistics Officer (G4), Headquarters 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; and Chief Logistics Plans Division, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fl., to name a few.

He earned a master's degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military education includes the Transportation Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Command and General Staff College, the Operations Research and System Analysis - Military Applications Course, Defense Language Institute (French), and the US Army War College.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster to name a few.

SDDC provides global surface deployment and distribution services to meet the nation's objectives. SDDC deploys and sustains more than 90 percent of the Department of Defense's equipment and supplies by leveraging the capability of commercial industry and other military services.

For more information about SDDC, please go to http://www.army.mil/sddc.