John “J.T.” Thomson retired as a Lieutenant General from the U.S. Army in 2020 after commissioning as a Field Artillery officer in 1986. During his 34+ years of military service, he served across the globe and led formations at the platoon, company, battalion, brigade, division, and Army level. His recent assignments included 75th Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas and commander of NATO Allied Land Command at Izmir, Turkey.  

For the first seven years of his career, J.T. served in Europe during the Cold War, then deployed for Operation Desert Storm to Southwest Asia with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.  Later combat deployments included Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Freedom’s Sentinel.

J.T. had two tours in the Pentagon, first with the Joint Staff and later with the Army Staff. During his time on the Joint Staff, he collaborated extensively with the U.S. Department of State on global security affairs.    

Born in Bamberg, West Germany, J.T. grew up as a military “brat” and has appreciated living all over the United States and overseas, experiencing many diverse cultures. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the U.S. Military Academy and a Master of Science degree in Leadership and Counseling from Long Island University.  He also graduated from the Airborne School, the Ranger Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Joint Forces Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College Fellowship at the Institute of World Politics.

J.T. is conversant in German and enjoys fishing, college football, and international travel. He resides in Killeen, Texas with his family and is President of the River Ridge Group, LLC.  In addition to consulting and speaking on leadership development, international security, and resilience, he also serves as a Highly Qualified Expert/Senior Mentor for the U.S. Army’s Mission Command Training Program; as a Strategic Advisor to Lynk Global; and as an operational consultant to Allied Command Operations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).