WEST WARWICK, RI-Guill Tool & Engineering has appointed retired Naval officer James R. Houston to the role of vice president of engineering. In addition, Houston will handle business development for the company.

Houston served as operations officer for the war gaming department at the Naval War College from January 2005 until April 2010, where he directed and mentored a department of more than 80 officers, professors and enlisted personnel. In addition to monitoring and integrating the strategic growth of both technology and staff, he managed million‐dollar facility upgrades, coordinating virtually all modifications.

Houston served as deputy/planner for future operations of the Multi National Force‐Iraq (MNF‐I) and orchestrated the $76 million dollar Operation McCall, an extremely complex extraction of 550 tons of yellowcake uranium and other radioactive sources from Baghdad, Iraq while regional conflict was raging in 2007 and 2008. Additionally he was selected as MNF‐I Lead for the development of nation‐wide coalition and Iraqi security plans for the January 2009 Iraqi national elections.

Houston was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service with the Iraq Multi‐National Force as well as other prestigious U.S. Naval awards.