LTG Buchanan retired from active duty on 1 September 2019 after a 37 year Army career. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry under the ROTC program after graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology in 1982. He earned a Master of Arts in Leadership Development from the US Military Academy in 1992 and was the Distinguished Graduate of a year-long international security fellowship at the Geneva Center for Security Policy in 2002. 

LTG Buchanan commanded at every level from Platoon to Theater Army, and his assignments included tours in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division, the 10th Mountain Division, and I Corps. He served four combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He also served in operational deployments on every continent except Antarctica. From 2016-2019, LTG Buchanan was USNORTHCOM's Joint Forces Land Component Commander and led the operational-level military response in support of FEMA for five major hurricanes (Matthew, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Florence) and in support of the US Customs and Border Protection Agency for SW border security. 

Upon retirement, he and his wife moved home to Patagonia, Arizona, where he consults from his home office. In addition to serving as a Senior Fellow for National Defense University's CAPSTONE and KEYSTONE programs, LTG Buchanan provides keynote speeches to government agencies, universities, NGOs, and corporate audiences. He currently serves on three not-for-profit boards: Worldmaker International/The National Resilience Institute, 360 VA, and the Hummingbird Conservation Networks. Jeff also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona State Parks and Trails and as a Commissioner for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. He is an advisor to the Board of Directors for the Autonomy Institute, the Charlie Mike organization, and the Vet Voice Foundation. He recently joined COCOM Holdings as their Chief Learning Officer and Inside-Out Learning as an executive mentor. He is a life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Arizona Elk Society, the Arizona Antelope Foundation, and Quail Forever. Jeff and his wife Laura have three adult children (all married) and seven grandchildren.