Col. James L. Crocker became the 35th commander of Tobyhanna Army Depot on June 29, 2023. As the commander for 3,200 personnel, his responsibilities include supporting global readiness for Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense.
He began his military career as a Wheeled Vehicle Operator with the Army National Guard and attended basic and advance individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon graduating from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, he was commissioned as an Ordnance Officer and entered active duty. Crocker received a Master of Business Administration in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Trident University as well as a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Upon completion of the Ordnance Officer’s Basic Course, he served as the company executive officer and platoon leader for the 178th Maintenance Company at Fort Bliss, Texas including a deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, as well as serving as the maintenance control officer for the company in Kwangju, Korea. He later served as a logistics plans officer at the 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Bliss and as a logistics plans officer in Qatar in 2006 - in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Col. Crocker commanded Foxtrot Maintenance Company, 5th Battalion 52nd Air Defense Artillery (ADA) in Texas. His company deployed to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2007 to 2008.
Following deployment, he served as the logistics officer (S4) and support operations officer for 11th ADA Brigade. He then served as the joint logistics plans and operations officer for Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss. He was then assigned as the senior logistics advisor to the Royal Saudi Land Forces in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2014. When he returned stateside, Col. Crocker completed assignments in the role of deputy division chief for the Munitions Management Division HQDA G-3/5/7, executive officer to the Director of Training of the Army, and branch chief for Home Station Training HQDA G-3/5/7 in the Pentagon, Washington D.C.
Col. Crocker commanded the Special Troops Battalion for 1st Theater Sustainment Command from 2018 to 2020 and later served as the 1st TSC Support Operations Officer from 2021 to 2023, deploying in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
His military schooling includes the Ordnance Officer Basic Course, the Combined Logisticians Captain’s Career Course, the Command and General Staff Course, and the U.S. Army War College.
Col. Crocker’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He is authorized to wear the Army Staff Identification Badge.