Army Reserve Ambassador James W. Darden, a retired Major General, served in the Army Reserve for thirty-eight years, from his commissioning in 1966 to his retirement in 2004. Prior to his terminal assignment as the Director of Mobilization and Reserve Affairs/Deputy J5 of the European Command, Mr. Darden held three command-level positions as a General Officer including commanding general of the 81st Regional Readiness Command in Birmingham, Ala., from May 1995 until February 1999. Mr. Darden is a native of Memphis, Tenn. He earned an undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University and his master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Mississippi. Now a Birmingham resident, he is president of Darden and Associates, a real estate and construction company. He is also the vice president of Ellis Services Corporation and a partner in Springville Properties.
