As the Congressman for All Alaska, I take great pride in introducing the very first National Commander of The American Legion from the Last Frontier.

National Commander Jimmie L. Foster was raised in Oklahoma.  He stayed there throughout his school years, graduating with a degree in Agriculture Education from Northeastern A&M College.  

After working in the textile and grocery businesses, Jimmie joined the United States Marines, serving at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego from 1973 to 1976. 

In 1976 he went back to civilian life for a short time but it didn’t take long for him to put on a uniform once again, this time for the U.S. Army. 

Jimmie retired from military service in 1994 as the chief legal non-commissioned officer at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.  It was the Arizona heat, and a great sense of adventure, that finally convinced him to move north to Alaska.

Commander Foster spent 20 years in the military, but has spent nearly a decade longer than that wearing an American Legion cap.   He climbed the Legion ranks from Post Adjutant to Commander at the local level, serving on state level committees including those on Economics, Veterans Employment, Internal Affairs, Legislative Affairs, National Security and more.

At the national level, Jimmie has been on the Legion’s Board of Directors, its Homeland Security Council, and Economic, Internal Affairs and Legislative Commissions.  He was elected National Commander of The American Legion on September 2, 2010.

Jimmie and his wife Rehta have two sons, Christopher and Michael, as well as five grandchildren

Jimmie has quite a record of public service, and I am proud and honored that he calls Alaska home.

Please greet The National Commander of The American Legion, Jimmie L. Foster.