Four-Star Admiral James \u201cSandy\u201d Winnefeld is the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second highest-ranking officer in the entire United States Armed Forces. A highly decorated leader, his nearly 40-year, celebrated military career includes extensive time as a fighter pilot and as an instructor at TOPGUN before he led at the Pentagon. He was one of the Navy\u2019s best pilots before taking on larger leadership roles and commanding at every level, including serving as an aircraft carrier commander during 9\/11. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, \u201cHe\u2019s been the grease in the machinery between our special operations forces and our most senior decision makers, helping remove some of the worse terrorists from the fight.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"