Col. Catherine M. Jumper, former Director of Air Operations on the Virginia National Guard’s joint staff, was promoted to brigadier general in a ceremony Nov. 6, 2022, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. She succeeds Brig. Gen. Toni M. Lord as the Virginia National Guard Air Component Commander, and Lord is retiring after 39 years of service. Family, friends, fellow service members and distinguished guests from the 192nd Wing and Joint Force Headquarters-Virginia attended the ceremony. Her father, retired Gen. John P. Jumper, the 17th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, served as the presiding official for the ceremony.

“This is a proud day for the Jumper family,” Gen. Jumper said. “I will say that one characteristic of Cathy is that everything she touches, she always makes better. People ask me, ‘to what do you contribute to your success?’ The first thing is luck and timing – none of us who have been successful have done that without being in the right place at the right time. But the other is family support. In Cathy’s case, [her husband and sons] know and understand that being part-time in the Virginia Air National Guard is more like being full-time.”