[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 26 (Thursday, February 5, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO GENERAL JAMES J. MINGUS

  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, today, I honor the distinguished service 
and long career of GEN James J. Mingus, a native of Spencer, IA, who 
devoted more than four decades to the defense of the United States and 
to the soldiers he led. His career is defined by unwavering service, 
decisive leadership, and command at the highest levels of the Army.
  Commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, General 
Mingus rose from company-level command to the Army's highest echelons, 
ultimately serving as Vice Chief of Staff during a period of 
extraordinary global challenge and strategic competition. Throughout 
his career, General Mingus exemplified the very best of the U.S. Army. 
He commanded at every level, including some of the Army's most elite 
and demanding formations, consistently placing readiness, discipline, 
and warfighting excellence at the center of his leadership. From 
airborne and expeditionary operations to senior institutional command, 
his steady judgment, operational credibility, and decisive leadership 
earned the trust of soldiers, commanders, and civilian leaders alike.
  As Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mingus played a central 
role in sustaining and enhancing soldier performance, readiness, 
advancing modernization, and ensuring the Army met its global 
responsibilities while taking care of soldiers and families. Those who 
served with him often describe him as a leader who spoke plainly, 
listened carefully, and treated responsibility as something to be borne 
personally. Generations of the soldiers who watched him lead now carry 
his habits and example into commands of their own. Jim Mingus 
exemplifies the very best of the U.S. Army.
  On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my deepest thanks to GEN 
James J. Mingus for his extraordinary service, sacrifice, and 
leadership. As he concludes this remarkable chapter of service, we wish 
him, his family, and loved ones continued success and fulfillment in 
the years ahead. His legacy will endure in the strength, 
professionalism, and readiness of the U.S. Army.

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