Jimmy Banton

Lieutenant Colonel James Banton is a 2000 graduate of Virginia Military Institute (VMI). While attending VMI, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve as a Combat Engineer, achieving the rank of Corporal before commissioning as a Marine Corps officer.

As an AV-8B Harrier pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Banton served in multiple Harrier squadrons, to include VMA-214, VMA-311, VMAT-203 as an Instructor Pilot, VMA-223, and VMA-542 as the Operations Officer. He deployed with the 31st, 15th, and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), supporting Marine Air-Ground Task Force operations across multiple regions and providing expeditionary aviation capabilities in support of U.S. and allied objectives.

Transitioning to ground combat operations, Lieutenant Colonel Banton served as a Forward Air Controller with Golf Company, 2d Battalion, 2d Marines, during Operation Enduring Freedom, coordinating aviation support and integrating fires in support of ground combat operations in Afghanistan.

He was later selected for a joint assignment as a Fires Support Officer within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, conducting multiple combat deployments in the CENTCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility. His work directly supported special operations missions, enhancing the integration of joint fires and interagency capabilities in dynamic and high-threat environments.

Lieutenant Colonel Banton culminated his Marine Corps career as the Executive Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, where he oversaw base operations, aviation support, and quality-of-life programs for service members and their families. Following retirement, he transitioned to the private sector as Chief Operating Officer of a local commercial real estate company, applying his operational expertise and leadership to
business growth and organizational development.

Today, he continues his lifelong commitment to service as the Executive Director of Operation Patriots FOB.

Lieutenant Colonel Banton resides in Bluffton, South Carolina, with his wife Stephanie and daughter Katie. Their son, Jimmy, proudly serves in the United States Marine Corps with Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company.