Jim Ransom is the son of a career naval officer, growing up primarily in Hawaii and Connecticut. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in History. He also holds a Masters degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He spent 30 years as a submarine officer, serving on three submarines before commanding USS MIAMI (SSN 755) from 1998 to 2000. Under his command the ship completed an Arabian Gulf/Mediterranean Sea deployment. The crew was awarded two Navy Unit Commendations for strike operations against Iraq and Serbia, and Jim was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. MIAMI’s crew was selected as the recipient of the 1999 Battenberg Cup, awarded annually to the best overall ship in the Atlantic Fleet. MIAMI was the first submarine to win this award. He served in shore assignments all over the United States and overseas, including Annapolis MD, Yokosuka Japan, the Pentagon (twice), and Norfolk VA. He commanded Regional Support Group Groton in Connecticut from 2004 to 2006, and was responsible for all aspects of maintenance and modernization of Groton’s 18 submarines. He was the Director for Operations and Plans, and Chief of Staff, for the Pacific Submarine Force. He completed his Navy career in 2010 teaching Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College. After retiring from the Navy, Jim worked in Lynchburg VA on nuclear power research and development. He is an adjunct professor for the Naval War College, teaching the Strategy and War course to Fleet Seminar Program post-graduate students in Mayport FL. He served on the Board of Directors of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford Virginia, responsible for strategic vision and guiding the next phase of the Memorial’s growth. He has a keen interest in military history and enjoys teaching and public speaking. He is researching a project on the performance of U.S. Asiatic Fleet submarines in the Far East in the opening months of World War II. Jim and his wife Anne live in Jacksonville FL, where they are thrilled to be close to family. They have three grown children, including one who is a third-generation submarine officer wearing a gold dolphin insignia previously worn by his father and grandfather, and four grandchildren.