Brigadier General Steven W. Ainsworth was born in Jackson, Mississippi. Prior to receiving his commission, he served over five years as an enlisted Soldier; those experiences included service as a Radio Telephone Operator, Administration Clerk, and Nuclear Biological Chemical Specialist/Noncommissioned Officer. He later received his commission as a Distinguished Military Graduate through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in May 1983 as a Quartermaster Officer.
Brigadier General Ainsworth attended the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia, in July 1984. In March of 2014, he assumed command of the 94th Division (Force Sustainment) at Fort Lee and is dual-hatted as the Deputy Commanding General (U.S. Army Reserve) at the Sustainment Center of Excellence – Combined Arms Support Command.
He has had various leadership assignments to include: Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Communications-Electronics Officer. He was the Commander of Company A, 106th Forward Support Battalion, 155th Armor Brigade, in Prentiss and Magee, Mississippi. He was Brigade Logistics Officer, of Headquarters, 155th Armor Brigade in Tupelo, Mississippi. He was the Operations and Training Officer; Chief, Plans and Training Branch, and then Commander, Detachment 2, State Area Command, Camp McCain, Elliott, Mississippi.
He was an Instructor at Command and General Staff Officer Course, 9th Battalion, 6th Brigade, 100th Division (Institutional Training), Nashville, Tennessee.
BG Ainsworth was also Chief of Operations – Deployment/Redeployment, 377th Theater Support Command, 3d Army Coalition Forces Land Component Command, United States Army, Southwest Asia. He then became Branch Chief, 2d Group, 4th Brigade, 75th Division (Institutional Training) in Birmingham, Alabama
followed by Commander of 648th Regional Support Group, Military Intelligence Readiness Command, St. Louis, Missouri.
Prior to taking command of the 94th Division, he served as Chief of Staff of the 87th Army Reserve Support Command in Birmingham, Alabama.
Brigadier General Ainsworth’s awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
Brigadier General Ainsworth’s military schools include the Nuclear Biological Chemical School (Honor Graduate), the Quartermaster Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Command and General Staff Officer’s Course, the Faculty Development Course, the Observer Trainer Academy, and the U.S. Army War College. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Joint Professional Military Education Course at the Joint Forces Staff College.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (with Honors) and Master of Business Administration (with Honors) from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also holds a Graduate Degree in Banking from Louisiana State University and a Master in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Brigadier General Ainsworth is a commercial banker and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.