James Joyner

James Joyner (born November 16, 1965) is best known as the founder and editor-in-chief of the weblog Outside The Beltway and a frequent commentary on public policy in prominent journals.

He is an associate professor of security studies at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Marine Corps University, a nonresident senior fellow with the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council and an Expert at Wikistrat.

Previously, he was a managing editor at the Atlantic Council, a defense contractor for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Managing Editor of Strategic Insights, the professional journal of the Center for Contemporary Conflict at the Naval Postgraduate School, acquisitions editor for international affairs at Brassey's, Inc., a Dulles, Virginia book publisher (later called Potomac Books), and a political science professor at Troy State University, Bainbridge College, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Joyner served in the U.S. Army from 1988–1992 and is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, and numerous service medals and ribbons. He is a graduate of the Airborne and Air Assault schools.

He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Alabama (1995) and B.A. (1987) and M.A. (1988) degrees in Political Science from Jacksonville State University.

James Joyner married Kimberly Webb on October 8, 2005. The couple had two daughters, Katie and Ellie. On November 27, 2011, Kimberly Webb Joyner died unexpectedly in her sleep.