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James Peake
PeakeJames.jpg
Peake in 2007
6th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
In office
December 20, 2007 – January 20, 2009
President George W. Bush
Deputy Gordon H. Mansfield
Preceded by Jim Nicholson
Succeeded by Eric Shinseki
40th Surgeon General of the United States Army
In office
September 22, 2000 – July 8, 2004
President Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded by Ronald R. Blanck
Succeeded by Kevin C. Kiley
Personal details
Born (1944-06-18) June 18, 1944 (age 80)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political party Republican
Education United States Military Academy (BS)
Cornell University (MD)
Military service
Allegiance United States of America
Branch/service  United States Army
Years of service 1966–2004
Rank US-O9 insignia.svg Lieutenant General
Unit Medical Corps
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Awards Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Joint Services Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Navy Meritorious Unit Award
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Senior Parachutist Badge
Pathfinder Badge
Combat Medical Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge

James Benjamin Peake (born June 18, 1944) was the sixth United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving from 2007 to 2009. In 2004, he retired from a 38-year United States Army career. He also served as the 40th Surgeon General of the United States Army.

Biography

Early life

Peake was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a military family. His father began as an enlisted man in the Army, and became an officer who spent most of his 30-year career in the Medical Corps. Peake's mother was an Army nurse, and his brother was a naval aviator.

Military career

Portrait of U.S. Army Lt. Gen. James B. Peake The Surgeon General-Commander, U.S. Army Medical Command
Official portrait of Lieutenant General James Peake

At the age of 18, he set upon his own Army career when he was accepted to West Point. Peake received his Bachelor of Science degree from U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1966 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry.

Following service in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division, where he was awarded the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with "V" device and the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Peake entered medical school at Cornell University in New York. He was awarded a medical doctorate in 1972. He retired from the Army in 2004, as a lieutenant general.

Lt. Gen. James B. Peake at Fort McCoy 9 April 2003
Lt. Gen. James B. Peake during his tour of Fort McCoy.

Peake served for four years as the United States Army Surgeon General. He also served as commander of several Army medical units. Previous key assignments include Commander, U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School and Installation Commander, Fort Sam Houston; Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Medical Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Commanding General, Madigan Army Medical Center/Northwest Health Service Support Activity, Tacoma, Washington; Commanding General, 44th Medical Brigade/Corps Surgeon, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg; Deputy Director, Professional Services/Chief, Consultant, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Virginia; Commander, 18th Medical Command and 121st Evacuation Hospital/Command Surgeon, Seoul, Korea; Deputy Commander for Clinical Services, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii; Assistant Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Staff General Surgeon/Chief, General Surgery Clinic, DeWitt Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir; and General Surgery Resident, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Awards and decorations that Peake has received include the Distinguished Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with three oak leaf clusters), Bronze Star with "V" device (with one oak leaf cluster), Purple Heart (with oak leaf cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), Air Medal, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with "V" device (with one oak leaf cluster), Humanitarian Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Medical Badge, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with one oak leaf cluster), Senior Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab and Army Staff Identification Badge.

After Vietnam, he attended Cornell University's Weill Cornell Medical College. He is also a graduate of the United States Army War College, in 1988.

Dates of rank

Promotions
Rank Date
US Army O1 shoulderboard rotated.svg Second lieutenant June 8, 1966
US Army O2 shoulderboard rotated.svg First lieutenant June 8, 1967
US Army O3 shoulderboard rotated.svg Captain June 8, 1968
US Army O4 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major July 10, 1972
US Army O5 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant colonel July 10, 1977
US Army O6 shoulderboard rotated.svg Colonel November 1, 1982
US Army O7 shoulderboard rotated.svg Brigadier general April 1, 1992
US Army O8 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major general March 1, 1995
US Army O9 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant general September 7, 2000

Post-military career

After retiring from the Army, Peake served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Project Hope, a non-profit international health foundation operating in more than 30 countries. While at Project HOPE he helped to orchestrate the use of civilian volunteers aboard the Navy Hospital Ship Mercy as it responded to the tsunami disaster in Indonesia and also as part of the Hurricane Katrina response aboard the Hospital Ship Comfort.

Just prior to his nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Peake served as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer for QTC, one of the largest private providers of government-outsourced occupational health and disability examination services in the nation.

On December 17, 2009, CGI Group Inc., one of the largest independent information technology and business process services firms in the world, announced the hiring of Peake as Senior Vice-President for the Health Industry.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Peake's selection as VA secretary was announced on October 30, 2007. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 14, 2007 and sworn in at VA headquarters by Vice President Dick Cheney on December 20.

Peake was inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2009.

See also

Biography- George W. Bush White House Archives

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