Maj. Gen. James “Jim” Seward is The Adjutant General, West Virginia Joint Forces Headquarters – West Virginia, located in the state’s capital city of Charleston.
As the Adjutant General, State of West Virginia, Maj. Gen. Seward provides command guidance and vision to the West Virginia Army and Air National Guard and West Virginia Military Authority, which is comprised of more than 6,000 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen and 600 civilian employees. He provides the overall supervision of the day-to-day operations and management of the readiness, fiscal, personnel, equipment and the real property resources of the agency with a mission to ensure combat readiness, lethality and preparedness for the national defense.
Maj. Gen. Seward entered military service in 1987, enlisting in the U.S. Army as an M1A1 Abrams tanker stationed with the 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bad Hersfeld, W. Germany. From 1990 to 1994 Seward served in C Battery, 147th Field Artillery, as a Sergeant in Yankton, SD.
After earning a law degree from the University of South Dakota, Brig. Gen. Seward direct commissioned into the Judge Advocate General's Corps, attending Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course in 2000. He was assigned as Command Judge Advocate in the 109th Engineer Battalion, South Dakota Army National Guard, in Rapid City, South Dakota, in September 2000, and went on to serve in the battalion as Assistant Command Judge Advocate and Acting Command Judge Advocate. From August 2008 to May 2017, he served in the South Dakota National Guard as Command Judge Advocate, 109th Regional Support Group, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, Joint Forces Headquarters, and Judge Advocate General, Joint Forces Headquarters.
In June 2017, Maj. Gen. Seward transferred to the Kansas National Guard as the Command Judge Advocate for the 635th Regional Support Group in Topeka, Kansas. He served as the Staff Judge Advocate, Joint Forces Headquarters, KSND, from June 2018 until assuming Command of the West Virginia National Guard as The Adjutant General in February 2025.
Maj. Gen. Seward’s military and civilian education includes Distinguished Honor Graduate, Primary Leadership Development Course, Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course, Honor Graduate, Judge Advocate Advanced Course, United States Army Command and General Staff College and United States Army War College. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and a Doctor of Law degree from the University of South Dakota, and a Master of Science degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.
Prior to assuming the responsibilities as the Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Seward worked as the Director for the Veterans Justice Commission (VJC) Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan policy think tank. The VJC assesses the risk factors that drive veterans’ justice-system involvement, the adequacy of transitional assistance for military service members as they reenter civilian life, and the effectiveness of the justice system response when veterans break the law. Maj. Gen. Seward also previously held positions with Black Hills Energy, as General Counsel for the Governor of South Dakota from 2010-2016, and served as a Chief Prosecutor in the County State’s Attorney Office in Butte County, South Dakota.
Maj. Gen. Seward’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Service Star), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with M Device and Silver Hour Glass), Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, Kansas National Guard State Emergency Duty Service Ribbon, Louisiana Emergency Service Medal, South Dakota Distinguished Service Award (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), South Dakota Emergency Operations Ribbon, South Dakota Recruiting Ribbon, South Dakota National Guard Service Award (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), South Dakota Distinguished Unit Award.
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.