This is a complete list of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

s in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

before 1960, including those appointed in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

from the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

before the Air Force was established in 1947. The grade of lieutenant general (or ''three-star general'') is ordinarily the second-highest in the peacetime Air Force, ranking above

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

and below

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

List of U.S. Air Force lieutenant generals before 1960

The following list of lieutenant generals includes all officers of the United States Air Force, United States Army Air Forces, and United States Army Air Corps who were appointed to that rank prior to January 1, 1960.The list of lieutenant generals is taken from DuPre; the ''1947 World Almanac'', pp. 809–810; the ''Army Register''; and the ''Air Force Register''. Entries are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was appointed to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty. Each entry lists the officer's name, date of rank,Dates of rank are taken from the ''Army Register'' or ''Air Force Register''. date the officer vacated the active-duty rank,Dates vacated are taken from the ''Army Register'' or ''Air Force Register''. An officer could vacate the active-duty rank of lieutenant general via death, retirement, resignation, promotion to a higher permanent grade, or reversion to a lower permanent grade upon relinquishing an office bearing the statutory rank of lieutenant general. number of years on active duty as lieutenant general (Yrs),The number of years on active duty as lieutenant general is taken to be the number of days rounded to the nearest whole year and excluding any gaps in appointment. positions held as lieutenant general, and other biographical notes.Biographical notes include years of birth and death; dates of promotion to higher permanent grade; and other unusual career events such as death in office or resignation. Dates are taken from DuPre, the ''Army Register'', or the ''Air Force Register''. ''Italics'' denote active duty as lieutenant general while on the retired list.

Timeline

An officer held the active-duty grade of lieutenant general ( Lt.gen.) in the U.S. Army (

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

) or U.S. Air Force until his death, retirement, resignation, reassignment to a lesser position, or promotion to a higher grade such as general (

Gen. The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; Hebrew language, Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its i ...

) or general of the Army ( Gen.Army). ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:10 PlotArea = top:50 bottom:50 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1940 till:31/12/1975 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:01/01/1940 Define $now = 27/07/1953 Colors = id:ga value:rgb(0.75,1,0.75) legend: Gen.Army id:gen value:rgb(1,0,0) legend: Gen._ id:genret value:rgb(1,0.75,0.75) legend: Gen._(ret.) id:genusa value:rgb(1,0.75,0.75) legend: Gen._(USA) id:ltg value:rgb(0,0,1) legend: Lt.gen. id:ltgret value:rgb(0.75,0.75,1) legend: Lt.gen._(ret.) id:ltgusa value:rgb(0.75,0.75,1) legend: Lt.gen._(USA) id:time value:rgb(1,1,1) id:era value:rgb(0.75,0.75,0.75) id:erabar value:rgb(0,0,0) Legend = orientation:vertical position:right # Manually hardcoded positions of timescale labels and tick lines. Define $lefttime = 20 Define $righttime = 670 Define $toptime = 950 Define $toptimetick = 955 Define $toptimetext = 960 Define $bottomtime = 50 Define $bottomtimetick = 45 Define $bottomtimetext = 31 Define $time1940 = 8 Define $tick1940 = 20 Define $time1950 = 188 Define $tick1950 = 200 Define $time1960 = 369 Define $tick1960 = 381 Define $time1970 = 549 Define $tick1970 = 561 LineData = layer:back width:0.1 color:time at:01/01/1940 at:01/01/1950 at:01/01/1960 at:01/01/1970 layer:back width:0.5 color:era frompos:60 tillpos:920 at:07/12/1941 at:02/09/1945 at:25/06/1950 at:27/07/1953 at:11/12/1961 at:27/01/1973 # Top timescale tick lines. color:erabar points:($lefttime,$toptime)($righttime,$toptime) points:($tick1940,$toptime)($tick1940,$toptimetick) points:($tick1950,$toptime)($tick1950,$toptimetick) points:($tick1960,$toptime)($tick1960,$toptimetick) points:($tick1970,$toptime)($tick1970,$toptimetick) # Uncomment these lines to check alignment of top timescale tick lines with bottom timescale tick lines. # points:($tick1940,$bottomtime)($tick1940,$bottomtimetick) # points:($tick1950,$bottomtime)($tick1950,$bottomtimetick) # points:($tick1960,$bottomtime)($tick1960,$bottomtimetick) # points:($tick1970,$bottomtime)($tick1970,$bottomtimetick) TextData = fontsize:9 tabs:(0-right) pos:(125,925) text:^World War II pos:(275,925) text:^Korean War pos:(488,925) text:^Vietnam War # Top timescale year labels. fontsize:8 pos:($time1940,$toptimetext) text:1940 pos:($time1950,$toptimetext) text:1950 pos:($time1960,$toptimetext) text:1960 pos:($time1970,$toptimetext) text:1970 # Uncomment these lines to check alignment of top timescale year labels with bottom timescale year labels. # pos:($time1940,$bottomtimetext) text:1940 # pos:($time1950,$bottomtimetext) text:1950 # pos:($time1960,$bottomtimetext) text:1960 # pos:($time1970,$bottomtimetext) text:1970 BarData = barset:PM bar:spacer00 bar:spacer0 bar:era1 bar:spacer1 bar:emmons bar:andrews bar:arnold bar:brett bar:knudsen bar:mcnarney bar:kenney bar:harmon bar:spaatz bar:yount bar:eaker bar:doolittle bar:brereton bar:giles bar:george bar:cannon bar:vandenberg bar:stratemeyer bar:twining bar:whitehead bar:edwards bar:craig bar:chidlaw bar:norstad bar:lemay bar:quesada bar:rawlings bar:harmonhubert bar:wolfe bar:kepner bar:nugent bar:partridge bar:harper bar:weyland bar:kuter bar:white bar:cook bar:stone bar:everest bar:barcus bar:myers bar:craigie bar:cabell bar:johnson bar:smithjoseph bar:schlatter bar:boatner bar:atkinson bar:anderson bar:odonnell bar:tunner bar:putt bar:landon bar:power bar:ramey bar:timberlake bar:irvine bar:rogers bar:asensio bar:barnes bar:smithfrederic bar:strother bar:armstrong bar:samford bar:todd bar:lindsay bar:gerhart bar:hall bar:griswold bar:mckee bar:eckert bar:mundy bar:picher bar:lynn bar:wilson bar:lee bar:burns bar:schriever bar:bradley bar:sweeney bar:old bar:mcconnell bar:briggs bar:wetzel bar:spacer2 bar:era2 PlotData= width:6 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:PM color:erabar bar:era1 from: 07/12/1941 till: 02/09/1945 bar:era1 from: 25/06/1950 till: 27/07/1953 bar:era1 from: 11/12/1961 till: 27/01/1973 bar:era2 from: 07/12/1941 till: 02/09/1945 bar:era2 from: 25/06/1950 till: 27/07/1953 bar:era2 from: 11/12/1961 till: 27/01/1973 bar:emmons from: 25/10/1940 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:emmons from: 26/09/1947 till: 30/06/1948 color:ltg text:"

Delos C. Emmons Delos Carleton Emmons (January 17, 1889 – October 3, 1965) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. Essentially a "desk general," he was the military governor of Hawaii in the aftermath of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and administered t ...

" bar:andrews from: 19/09/1941 till: 03/05/1943 color:ltgusa text:"

Frank M. Andrews Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943) was a senior officer of the United States Army and one of the founders of the United States Army Air Forces, which was later to become the United States Air Force. ...

" bar:arnold from: 15/12/1941 till: 18/03/1943 color:ltgusa bar:arnold from: 19/03/1943 till: 20/12/1944 color:genusa bar:arnold from: 21/12/1944 till: 30/06/1946 color:ga text:"

Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...

" bar:brett from: 07/01/1942 till: 30/04/1945 color:ltgusa bar:brett from: 01/05/1945 till: 10/05/1946 color:ltgret text:"

George H. Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mo ...

" bar:knudsen from: 28/01/1942 till: 01/06/1945 color:ltgusa text:"

William S. Knudsen William Signius Knudsen (March 25, 1879 – April 27, 1948) was a leading Danish-American automotive industry executive and an American general during World War II. His experience and success as a key senior manager in the operations sides of F ...

" bar:mcnarney from: 15/06/1942 till: 06/03/1945 color:ltgusa bar:mcnarney from: 07/03/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:genusa bar:mcnarney from: 26/09/1947 till: 31/01/1952 color:gen text:"

Joseph T. McNarney Joseph Taggart McNarney (August 28, 1893 – February 1, 1972) was a four-star general in the United States Army and in the United States Air Force, who served as Military Governor of occupied Germany. Early life Joseph Taggart McNarney was ...

" bar:kenney from: 15/10/1942 till: 08/03/1945 color:ltgusa bar:kenney from: 09/03/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:genusa bar:kenney from: 26/09/1947 till: 01/09/1951 color:gen text:"

George C. Kenney George Churchill Kenney (August 6, 1889 – August 9, 1977) was a United States Army general during World War II. He is best known as the commander of the Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), a position he held between Augu ...

" bar:harmon from: 02/02/1943 till: 27/02/1946 color:ltgusa text:"

Millard F. Harmon Millard Fillmore Harmon Jr. (January 19, 1888 – February 26, 1945) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Pacific campaign in World War II. He was presumed to have perished in February 1945 on a flight when th ...

" bar:spaatz from: 12/03/1943 till: 10/03/1945 color:ltgusa bar:spaatz from: 11/03/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:genusa bar:spaatz from: 26/09/1947 till: 30/06/1948 color:gen text:"

Carl Spaatz Carl Andrew Spaatz (born Spatz; June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974), nicknamed "Tooey", was an American World War II general. As commander of Strategic Air Forces in Europe in 1944, he successfully pressed for the bombing of the enemy's oil product ...

" bar:yount from: 13/09/1943 till: 30/06/1946 color:ltgusa text:"

Barton K. Yount Barton may refer to: Places Australia * Barton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Division of Barton, an electoral district in New South Wales * Barton, Victoria, a locality near Moyston Canada * Barton, Newfoundland and ...

" bar:eaker from: 13/09/1943 till: 30/08/1947 color:ltgusa text:"

Ira C. Eaker General (Honorary) Ira Clarence Eaker (April 13, 1896 – August 6, 1987) was a general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Eaker, as second-in-command of the prospective Eighth Air Force, was sent to England to form and ...

" bar:doolittle from: 13/03/1944 till: 22/05/1946 color:ltgusa text:"

James H. Doolittle James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American military general and aviation pioneer who received the Medal of Honor for his daring raid on Japan during World War II. He also made early coast-to-coast flights ...

" bar:brereton from: 28/04/1944 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:brereton from: 26/09/1947 till: 31/08/1948 color:ltg text:"

Lewis H. Brereton Lewis Hyde Brereton (June 21, 1890 – July 20, 1967) was a military aviation pioneer and lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. A 1911 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he began his military career as a United States Army o ...

" bar:giles from: 28/04/1944 till: 30/06/1946 color:ltgusa text:"

Barney M. Giles Barney McKinney Giles (September 13, 1892 – May 6, 1984) was an American military officer who helped develop strategic bombing theory and practice. Giles stepped outside established bomber doctrine during World War II to develop long-range cap ...

" bar:george from: 16/03/1945 till: 31/12/1946 color:ltgusa bar:george from: 01/03/1955 till: 04/11/1955 color:ltgret text:"

Harold L. George Harold Lee George (July 19, 1893 – February 24, 1986) was an American aviation pioneer who helped shape and promote the concept of daylight precision bombing. An outspoken proponent of the industrial web theory, George taught at the Air Corps T ...

" bar:cannon from: 17/03/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:cannon from: 26/09/1947 till: 28/10/1951 color:ltg bar:cannon from: 29/10/1951 till: 31/03/1954 color:gen text:"

John K. Cannon General John Kenneth Cannon (March 9, 1892 – January 12, 1955) was a World War II Mediterranean combat commander and former chief of United States Air Forces in Europe for whom Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, New Mexico, is named. Biography Joh ...

" bar:vandenberg from: 17/03/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:vandenberg from: 26/09/1947 till: 30/06/1953 color:gen text:"

Hoyt S. Vandenberg Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg (January 24, 1899 – April 2, 1954) was a United States Air Force general. He served as the second Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the second Director of Central Intelligence. During World War II, Vandenberg was ...

" bar:stratemeyer from: 28/05/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:stratemeyer from: 26/09/1947 till: 31/01/1952 color:ltg text:"

George E. Stratemeyer Lieutenant General George Edward Stratemeyer (24 November 1890 – 9 August 1969) was a senior commander in the United States Air Force. He held senior command appointments in the China Burma India Theater of World War II and was Far East Air For ...

" bar:twining from: 05/06/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:twining from: 26/09/1947 till: 09/10/1950 color:ltg bar:twining from: 10/10/1950 till: 30/09/1960 color:gen text:"

Nathan F. Twining Nathan Farragut Twining ( ; October 11, 1897 – March 29, 1982) was a United States Air Force general, born in Monroe, Wisconsin. He was the chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1957, and the third chairman of the Joi ...

" bar:whitehead from: 05/06/1945 till: 26/09/1947 color:ltgusa bar:whitehead from: 26/09/1947 till: 31/07/1951 color:ltg text:"

Ennis C. Whitehead Ennis Clement Whitehead (September 3, 1895 – October 12, 1964) was an early United States Army aviator and a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. Whitehead joined the U. S. Army after the United States entered World War I ...

" bar:edwards from: 01/10/1947 till: 23/02/1953 color:ltg text:" Idwal H. Edwards" bar:craig from: 01/10/1947 till: 30/06/1955 color:ltg text:"

Howard A. Craig Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

" bar:chidlaw from: 01/10/1947 till: 29/07/1951 color:ltg bar:chidlaw from: 29/07/1951 till: 31/05/1955 color:gen text:"

Benjamin W. Chidlaw General Benjamin Wiley Chidlaw (December 18, 1900 – February 21, 1977) was an officer in the United States Air Force. He directed the development of the United States' original jet engine and jet aircraft. He joined the United States Army ...

" bar:norstad from: 01/10/1947 till: 05/07/1953 color:ltg bar:norstad from: 05/07/1952 till: 31/12/1963 color:gen text:"

Lauris Norstad Lauris Norstad (March 24, 1907 – September 12, 1988) was an American general officer in the United States Army and United States Air Force. Early life and military career Lauris Norstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to a Norwegian immigr ...

" bar:lemay from: 01/10/1947 till: 29/10/1951 color:ltg bar:lemay from: 29/10/1951 till: 01/02/1965 color:gen text:"

Curtis E. LeMay Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented a controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air F ...

" bar:quesada from: 01/10/1947 till: 31/10/1951 color:ltg text:"

Elwood R. Quesada Elwood Richard Quesada, CB, CBE (April 13, 1904 – February 9, 1993), nicknamed "Pete", was a United States Air Force Lt. General, FAA administrator, and, later, a club owner in Major League Baseball. Early years Elwood Richard Quesada was bor ...

" bar:rawlings from: 01/10/1947 till: 19/02/1954 color:ltg bar:rawlings from: 19/02/1954 till: 28/02/1959 color:gen text:"

Edwin W. Rawlings General Edwin William Rawlings, USAF (Ret), (September 11, 1904 – December 8, 1997) was a leading figure in the administrative development of the United States Air Force (USAF). Early life A Milroy, Minnesota native, Rawlings graduated w ...

" bar:harmonhubert from: 19/02/1948 till: 27/02/1953 color:ltg bar:harmonhubert from: 28/02/1953 till: 30/06/1953 color:ltgret bar:harmonhubert from: 08/11/1953 till: 31/07/1956 color:ltgret text:"

Hubert R. Harmon Lieutenant General Hubert Reilly Harmon (April 3, 1892 – February 22, 1957), after a distinguished combat career in World War II, was instrumental in developing plans for the establishment of the United States Air Force Academy. He was the ...

" bar:wolfe from: 16/09/1949 till: 30/06/1951 color:ltg text:" Kenneth B. Wolfe" bar:kepner from: 14/06/1950 till: 28/02/1953 color:ltg text:"

William E. Kepner William Ellsworth Kepner (6 January 1893 in Miami, Indiana - 3 July 1982 in Orlando, Florida) was an officer in the United States Army, United States Army Air Corps and United States Air Force, and a pioneer balloon (aircraft), balloonist and airsh ...

" bar:nugent from: 11/04/1951 till: 01/08/1951 color:ltg text:"

Richard E. Nugent Richard Emmel Nugent (December 12, 1902 – November 5, 1979) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who, among other positions, commanded the XXIX Tactical Air Command supporting the Ninth Army during World War II. His fir ...

" bar:partridge from: 11/04/1951 till: 19/02/1954 color:ltg bar:partridge from: 19/02/1954 till: 31/07/1959 color:gen text:"

Earle E. Partridge Earle Everard "Pat" Partridge (July 7, 1900 – September 7, 1990) was a four-star general in the United States Air Force and a Command Pilot. Biography Earl Partridge graduated Ashby High School, Ashby, Massachusetts in 1917. Partridge enliste ...

" bar:harper from: 11/04/1951 till: 01/07/1954 color:ltg text:" Robert W. Harper" bar:weyland from: 11/04/1951 till: 05/07/1952 color:ltg bar:weyland from: 05/07/1952 till: 31/07/1959 color:gen text:"

Otto P. Weyland Otto Paul Weyland (January 27, 1903 – September 2, 1979) was a United States Air Force general and the post-World War II Commander of Far East Air Forces during the Korean War and of Tactical Air Command. Early life His family moved to Texas ...

" bar:kuter from: 11/04/1951 till: 29/05/1955 color:ltg bar:kuter from: 29/05/1955 till: 01/07/1962 color:gen text:"

Laurence S. Kuter General Laurence Sherman Kuter (May 28, 1905 – November 30, 1979) was a Cold War-era U.S. Air Force general and former commander of the North American Air Defense Command ( NORAD). Kuter (pronounced COO-ter) was born in Rockford, Illinois i ...

" bar:white from: 28/07/1951 till: 30/06/1953 color:ltg bar:white from: 30/06/1953 till: 30/06/1961 color:gen text:"

Thomas D. White General Thomas Dresser White (August 6, 1901 – December 22, 1965) was the fourth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Life and military career White was born in Walker, Minnesota, on August 6, 1901. His father was John Chanler Whi ...

" bar:cook from: 28/07/1951 till: 01/04/1954 color:ltg bar:cook from: 01/04/1954 till: 01/06/1956 color:gen text:" Orval R. Cook" bar:stone from: 28/07/1951 till: 30/06/1957 color:ltg text:" Charles B. Stone III" bar:everest from: 20/12/1951 till: 30/05/1952 color:ltg bar:everest from: 01/05/1953 till: 01/07/1957 color:ltg bar:everest from: 01/07/1957 till: 01/10/1961 color:gen text:"

Frank F. Everest Frank Fort Everest (November 13, 1904 – October 10, 1983) was a Military star ranking, four-star General (United States), general in the United States Air Force (USAF). He commanded both United States Air Forces in Europe and Tactical Air ...

" bar:barcus from: 10/06/1952 till: 31/05/1953 color:ltg bar:barcus from: 26/07/1954 till: 01/08/1960 color:ltg text:" Glenn O. Barcus" bar:myers from: 05/07/1952 till: 31/07/1958 color:ltg text:" Charles T. Myers" bar:craigie from: 05/07/1952 till: 01/07/1955 color:ltg text:" Laurence C. Craigie" bar:cabell from: 05/07/1952 till: 11/07/1958 color:ltg bar:cabell from: 11/07/1958 till: 01/02/1962 color:gen text:"

Charles P. Cabell Charles Pearre Cabell (October 11, 1903 – May 25, 1971) was a United States Air Force general and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (1953–1962). Early life Charles P. Cabell was born in Dallas, Texas on October 11, 1903, t ...

" bar:johnson from: 05/07/1952 till: 31/08/1957 color:ltg bar:johnson from: 31/08/1957 till: 01/07/1961 color:gen bar:johnson from: 01/09/1961 till: 30/04/1965 color:genret text:"

Leon W. Johnson General Leon William Johnson (13 September 1904 – 10 November 1997) was a United States Air Force general who was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the attack on the Ploesti oil fields during World War II. A graduate of the United Sta ...

" bar:smithjoseph from: 05/07/1952 till: 30/06/1958 color:ltg text:"

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

" bar:schlatter from: 05/09/1952 till: 31/07/1957 color:ltg text:" David M. Schlatter" bar:boatner from: 05/09/1952 till: 01/09/1955 color:ltg text:" Bryant L. Boatner" bar:atkinson from: 03/03/1953 till: 28/02/1961 color:ltg text:" Joseph H. Atkinson" bar:anderson from: 01/05/1953 till: 10/03/1959 color:ltg bar:anderson from: 10/03/1959 till: 01/08/1963 color:gen text:"

Samuel E. Anderson General Samuel Egbert Anderson (January 6, 1906 – September 12, 1982) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as commander of the Air Materiel Command. Early life and education He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina ...

" bar:odonnell from: 01/05/1953 till: 31/07/1959 color:ltg bar:odonnell from: 31/07/1959 till: 31/07/1963 color:gen text:"

Emmett O'Donnell Jr. General Emmett E. "Rosie" O'Donnell Jr. (September 15, 1906 – December 26, 1971) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces (CINCPACAF) from 1959 to 1963. He also led the first B-29 ...

" bar:tunner from: 22/07/1953 till: 31/05/1960 color:ltg text:"

William H. Tunner William Henry Tunner (July 14, 1906 – April 6, 1983) was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces. Tunner was known for his expertise in the command of large-scale military airlif ...

" bar:putt from: 22/07/1953 till: 30/06/1958 color:ltg text:" Donald L. Putt" bar:landon from: 19/02/1954 till: 20/06/1956 color:ltg bar:landon from: 12/05/1957 till: 28/06/1961 color:ltg bar:landon from: 28/06/1961 till: 01/07/1963 color:gen text:"

Truman H. Landon General Truman Hempel "Ted" Landon (February 11, 1905 – January 27, 1986) was a U.S. Air Force general and commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Landon was born in Maryville, Missouri, and grew up in Carlinville, Illinois. After graduation fr ...

" bar:power from: 06/04/1954 till: 30/06/1957 color:ltg bar:power from: 30/06/1957 till: 30/11/1964 color:gen text:"

Thomas S. Power General Thomas Sarsfield Power (June 18, 1905 – December 6, 1970) was a United States Air Force officer who served as commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command. He was an active military flier for more than 30 years. Early career Thomas S ...

" bar:ramey from: 06/04/1954 till: 01/01/1957 color:ltg text:" Roger M. Ramey" bar:timberlake from: 10/05/1955 till: 31/07/1957 color:ltg text:" Patrick J. Timberlake" bar:irvine from: 10/05/1955 till: 30/04/1959 color:ltg text:" Clarence S. Irvine" bar:rogers from: 15/07/1955 till: 31/12/1961 color:ltg text:" Elmer J. Rogers Jr." bar:asensio from: 15/12/1955 till: 01/02/1960 color:ltg text:" Manuel J. Asensio" bar:barnes from: 20/06/1956 till: 01/09/1957 color:ltg text:" Earl W. Barnes" bar:smithfrederic from: 20/06/1956 till: 01/08/1959 color:ltg bar:smithfrederic from: 01/08/1959 till: 01/09/1962 color:gen text:" Frederic H. Smith Jr." bar:strother from: 05/09/1956 till: 30/06/1962 color:ltg bar:strother from: 30/06/1962 till: 31/07/1966 color:gen text:" Dean C. Strother" bar:armstrong from: 17/09/1956 till: 31/07/1962 color:ltg text:" Frank A. Armstrong Jr." bar:samford from: 24/11/1956 till: 23/11/1960 color:ltg text:"

John A. Samford John Alexander Samford (August 29, 1905 – December 1, 1968) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who served as Director of the National Security Agency. Early life and education Samford was born at Hagerman, New Mexico, in ...

" bar:todd from: 28/06/1957 till: 01/01/1961 color:ltg text:" Walter E. Todd" bar:lindsay from: 29/06/1957 till: 01/01/1960 color:ltg text:" Richard C. Lindsay" bar:gerhart from: 30/06/1957 till: 29/06/1962 color:ltg bar:gerhart from: 29/06/1962 till: 01/03/1965 color:gen text:"

John K. Gerhart John Koehler Gerhart (November 27, 1907 – January 9, 1981) was a United States Air Force four-star general, and served as commander, North American Air Defense Command under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Biography He was born in Saginaw ...

" bar:hall from: 01/07/1957 till: 01/10/1961 color:ltg text:" William E. Hall" bar:griswold from: 29/08/1957 till: 01/08/1964 color:ltg text:" Francis H. Griswold" bar:mckee from: 30/08/1957 till: 29/06/1961 color:ltg bar:mckee from: 29/06/1961 till: 31/07/1964 color:gen text:"

William F. McKee William Fulton McKee (October 17, 1906 – February 28, 1987) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander, Air Force Logistics Command (COMAFLC) from 1961 to 1962; and Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (VCSAF) from 1 ...

" bar:eckert from: 31/08/1957 till: 01/04/1961 color:ltg text:" William D. Eckert" bar:mundy from: 01/11/1957 till: 31/07/1963 color:ltg text:" George W. Mundy" bar:picher from: 01/04/1958 till: 11/05/1960 color:ltg text:" Oliver S. Picher" bar:lynn from: 02/04/1958 till: 01/01/1959 color:ltg text:" Roy H. Lynn" bar:wilson from: 01/07/1958 till: 01/11/1961 color:ltg text:"

Roscoe C. Wilson Roscoe Charles Wilson (June 11, 1905 – August 21, 1986) was a United States Air Force general who was Commandant of the Air War College from 1951 to 1954 and Deputy Chief of Staff, Development, from 1958 to 1961. A 1928 graduate of the Unite ...

" bar:lee from: 15/07/1958 till: 04/06/1963 color:ltg bar:lee from: 04/06/1963 till: 01/08/1966 color:gen text:" Robert M. Lee" bar:burns from: 01/08/1958 till: 10/08/1964 color:ltg text:" Robert W. Burns" bar:schriever from: 25/04/1959 till: 01/07/1961 color:ltg bar:schriever from: 01/07/1961 till: 01/08/1966 color:gen text:"

Bernard A. Schriever Bernard Adolph Schriever (14 September 1910 – 20 June 2005), also known as Bennie Schriever, was a United States Air Force general who played a major role in the Air Force's space and ballistic missile programs. Born in Bremen, Germany, Schr ...

" bar:bradley from: 27/06/1959 till: 01/07/1962 color:ltg bar:bradley from: 01/07/1962 till: 01/08/1965 color:gen text:"

Mark E. Bradley Mark Edward Bradley Jr. (December 10, 1907 – May 22, 1999) was a United States Air Force general and a pioneering aviator. He served as commander of the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command. Early life On December 10, 1907, Bradley was born ...

" bar:sweeney from: 28/06/1959 till: 30/06/1961 color:ltg bar:sweeney from: 30/06/1961 till: 01/08/1965 color:gen text:" Walter C. Sweeney Jr." bar:old from: 29/06/1959 till: 01/09/1965 color:ltg text:"

Archie J. Old Jr. Archie J. Old Jr. (August 1, 1906 – March 24, 1984) was a Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. Early life Old was born in Farmersville, Texas, on August 1, 1906. Here he grew up and went to the ...

" bar:mcconnell from: 30/06/1959 till: 01/10/1962 color:ltg bar:mcconnell from: 01/10/1962 till: 31/07/1969 color:gen text:" John P. McConnell" bar:briggs from: 01/08/1959 till: 01/08/1963 color:ltg text:" James E. Briggs" bar:wetzel from: 01/09/1959 till: 31/08/1961 color:ltg text:" Emery S. Wetzel"

History

The

originated as the Air Corps of the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the Regular Army was augmented with a larger temporary force of reservists, volunteers, and conscripts to form the

Army of the United States The Army of the United States is one of the four major service components of the United States Army (the others being the Regular Army, the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard of the United States), but it has been inactive si ...

. Air personnel in the combined force belonged to the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. After the war, all Air Corps and Army Air Forces personnel split off from the Army to form the independent Air Force.

1939–1947 (U.S. Army Air Forces)

The first United States airman to become a lieutenant general was

, commanding general of

General Headquarters Air Force The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

, who was appointed to that grade under a 1940 law authorizing the President to appoint Regular Army officers to temporary higher grades in the

. The first airman to become a lieutenant general in the Regular Army was

, who was automatically elevated to that grade upon assuming command of the

Panama Canal Department The Panama Canal Department was a department (geographical command) of the United States Army, responsible for the defense of the Panama Canal Zone between 1917 and 1947. First U.S. Army presence The Isthmian Canal Commission and the Panama Can ...

in 1941. The Regular Army grade of lieutenant general had been abolished at the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, but was revived in 1939 when Congress authorized the officers commanding certain important Army formations to be temporarily appointed to the grade while detailed to those positions; these commands included the four

field armies A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and withi ...

and the Panama Canal and Hawaiian Departments.''Army Register''; Acts of July 31, 1940, and September 9, 1940. Numerous airmen were promoted to lieutenant general during World War II. Lieutenant generals typically commanded one of the numbered field armies or air forces; served as deputy theater commanders; or headed major headquarters staffs, administrative commands, or support organizations. Most World War II lieutenant generals were appointed to that grade in the Army of the United States, even if detailed to a position that already carried the Regular Army grade; unlike the ''ex officio'' Regular Army grade, which was lost if an officer was reassigned, the Army of the United States grade was personal to each individual, making it easier to transfer officers without inadvertently demoting them.''Army Register''; ; . Although most air lieutenant generals belonged to the Regular Army Air Corps, anyone could be appointed lieutenant general in the Army of the United States, including reservists and civilians;

was promoted to lieutenant general as an Air Corps Reserve officer and

was commissioned lieutenant general directly from civilian life.

1947–1960 (U.S. Air Force)

The

National Security Act of 1947 The National Security Act of 1947 ( Pub.L.br>80-253 61 Stat.br>495 enacted July 26, 1947) was a law enacting major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II. The majority of the pro ...

transferred all personnel in the

, Air Corps, and

to the newly created

. Lieutenant generals in the new service typically headed divisions of the Air Staff in Washington, D.C.; the unified command in Alaska; the theater air forces in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

or the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

; or the Air Force's top-level

strategic Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...

tactical Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tacti ...

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

materiel Materiel (; ) refers to supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply-chain management, and typically supplies and equipment in a commercial supply chain context. In a military context, the term ''materiel'' refers either to the specifi ...

, or

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

commands. Many early three-star commands were subsequently upgraded to four stars, and their vice commanders were elevated to three stars along with the commanders of the larger

numbered air forces A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squadrons, and groups.

. All three- and four-star ranks were made ''ex officio'' by the Officer Personnel Act of 1947, meaning that a lieutenant general had to be reconfirmed in that grade every time he changed jobs. During the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

the

Far East Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...

(FEAF) vice commander for operations, Major General

, was slated for a three-star job in the United States but

Air Force Chief of Staff The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a General (United States), general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the United States Secretary of t ...

wanted Weyland to be promoted to lieutenant general while still in the war zone, so Vandenberg created the new three-star position of deputy commanding general of FEAF just for Weyland. Once promoted, Weyland immediately returned stateside but remained technically assigned to FEAF in order to keep his new grade while waiting for the Senate to confirm him in his permanent three-star assignment as commanding general of

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

. It was rare but not unheard of for a lieutenant general to be demoted by accepting a transfer to a lower ranking job. Air Force Inspector General

and

Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...

commanding generals

and Glenn O. Barcus all reverted to major general for their next assignments but regained their third stars in subsequent postings. Conversely, Major General

Muir S. Fairchild General (United States), General Muir Stephen Fairchild (September 2, 1894 – March 17, 1950) was a United States Air Force officer and the service's second Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Vice Chief of Staff. Early service ...

skipped three-star rank entirely when he was appointed to the four-star office of

vice chief of staff of the Air Force The vice chief of staff of the Air Force (VCSAF) is the second highest-ranking military officer in the United States Air Force. If the chief of staff of the Air Force (CSAF) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, then the VCSAF assumes t ...

.Puryear, p. 129.

Legislative history

The following list of Congressional legislation includes all

acts of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public ( public laws). For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both house ...

pertaining to appointments to the grade of lieutenant general in the United States Air Force or United States Army Air Forces before 1960.Legislative history compiled from: ''Official Army Register''; ''Air Force Register''; ''Military Laws of the United States, 1939''; and ''The Army Almanac''. Each entry lists an act of Congress, its citation in the

United States Statutes at Large The ''United States Statutes at Large'', commonly referred to as the ''Statutes at Large'' and abbreviated Stat., are an official record of Acts of Congress and concurrent resolutions passed by the United States Congress. Each act and resolutio ...

, and a summary of the act's relevance.

Notes

Bibliography

Biographical registers

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Other publications

* * * * * * *{{citation , title = The Three Wars of Lt. Gen. George E. Stratemeyer: His Korean War Diary , first = William T. , last = Y'Blood , publisher = Air Force History and Museums Program, Government Printing Office , place = Washington, D.C. , year = 1999 , url = http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/Stratemeyer_Diary.pdf , access-date = 2012-06-06 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070901234559/http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/Stratemeyer_Diary.pdf , archive-date = 2007-09-01 , url-status = dead

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Lieutenant generals before 1960

United States Air Force generals United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...