Philip G. Killey is a retired

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 ...

officer. He attained the rank of

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 served as

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the

South Dakota National Guard The South Dakota National Guard is part of the South Dakota Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. It was created in 1862 as the State Militia. Its headquarters is located in Rapid City, South Dakota. It consists of the South Dakota Army Natio ...

, Director of the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

and Commander of

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Co ...

Early life

Philp G. Killey was born in

Monmouth, Illinois Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warf ...

on October 1, 1941. He graduated from

Monmouth High School Monmouth-Roseville High School, or MRHS, is a public four-year high school located at 200 South B Street in Monmouth, Illinois, a city of Warren County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. MRHS is part of Monmouth-Roseville Community Unit ...

in 1959, and received a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

and

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

from

Monmouth College Monmouth College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth enrolls approximately 900 students from 21 countries who choose courses from 40 major programs, 43 minors, and 17 pre-professional programs in a c ...

in 1963.

Military career

Killey received his commission in 1963 through

Air Force Officer Training School Officer Training School (OTS) is a United States Air Force and United States Space Force commissioning program located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Overview Officer Training School is a part of the Jeanne M. Holm Center fo ...

Lackland Air Force Base Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of Sa ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Upon qualification as an F-4 pilot he was assigned to

Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. During his career Killey attained the rating of command pilot and flew more than 6,500 hours. His list of military aircraft flown includes the T-37,

T-38 T38 or T-38 may refer to: * T38 (classification), a disability sport classification for disability athletics * T.38, a standard for fax over IP * T-38 tank, a Soviet light tank * Allison T38, a turboprop aircraft engine * Northrop T-38 Talon, a U.S ...

F-4 The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...

F-100 F-100 or F100 may refer to: Aerospace and defense * North American F-100 Super Sabre, a fighter aircraft formerly in the service of the United States Air Force * Fokker 100, a regional jet * Pratt & Whitney F100, afterburning turbofan engine * ' ...

A-7 A7, A.7, A 7, A07 or A-7 may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * A7, the A dominant seventh chord used in many rock songs, see dominant seventh chord * A (musical note) * ''A7'' (mixtape), by SCH, 2015 * Avenged Sevenfold, a hard rock/meta ...

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...

and C-21. From May 1967 to February 1968, Killey flew 129 combat missions as an F-4 fighter pilot in Southeast Asia during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, assigned to the

8th Tactical Fighter Wing The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force. Seventh Air Force falls under Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). The Wing's 8th Operations Group is the success ...

Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility located near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 488 km (303 miles) northeast of Bangkok. The Laos border is about dire ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. He left active duty in 1969 and joined the

South Dakota Air National Guard The South Dakota Air National Guard (SD ANG) is the aerial militia of the South Dakota, State of South Dakota, United States, United States of America. It is, along with the South Dakota Army National Guard, an element of the South Dakota Nation ...

in 1970. He held a variety of training, staff and command positions, including Deputy Commander of the 114th Tactical Fighter Group. In March, 1983 he became Commander of the Group. In March 1987 Killey was named Adjutant General of the South Dakota National Guard and promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He served until November 1988, when he was appointed Director of the Air National Guard and promoted to major general. Killey served as Director of the Air National Guard until January 1994, and was acting

Chief of the National Guard Bureau The chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) is the highest-ranking officer of the National Guard and the head of the National Guard Bureau. The position is a statutory office (), held by a federally recognized commissioned officer who has serv ...

from December 1993 to January 1994. In January 1994 Killey was named Commander of First Air Force and Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region. He was the first National Guard officer to hold this position, and he served until January 1998. From January 1998 until retiring in May 2003, Killey served again as

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

Retirement

After retiring from the military, Killey was a consultant on government, military and homeland security issues. He was also active in business, including a position on the advisory board of Previstar, Inc. In 2009 the new First Air Force and

Continental NORAD Region The Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR) is a component of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) that provides airspace surveillance and control and directs air sovereignty activities for the continental United States (CONUS). CO ...

headquarters was dedicated as the Killey Center for Homeland Operations.Broadstreet, Dan, WJHG-TV
Headquarters Building for Continental U.S. NORAD Command Region to be Dedicated
October 18, 2015

Awards and decorations

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (AFDSM) is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force and is presented to airmen and guardians to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to ...

with oak leaf cluster * Legion of Merit ribbon

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with oak leaf cluster * Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon

Distinguished Flying Cross * Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: *Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Med ...

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

with 12 oak leaf clusters * Air Force Commendation ribbon

Air Force Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

with oak leaf cluster * Army Commendation Medal ribbon

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

Presidential Unit Citation (United States) The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the Awards and decorations of the United States Department of the Air Force, unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the A ...

with three oak leaf clusters * Combat Readiness Medal ribbon

Combat Readiness Medal The Combat Readiness Medal is an award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force created in 1964. The original Combat Readiness Medal was an award senior to the Air Force Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-l ...

with four oak leaf clusters *

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four sp ...

with service star * Vietnam Service Medal ribbon

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. A ...

with service star * Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon

Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Short * Air Force Longevity Service ribbon

Air Force Longevity Service Award The Air and Space Longevity Service Award (ASLSA) is a military award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force established as the Air Force Longevity Service Award by Air Force General Order 60, on 25 November 1957 by General ...

Ribbon with seven oak leaf clusters * AFRM with Hourglass Device

Armed Forces Reserve Medal The Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) is a service medal of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by members of the reserve components and is awarded to both officers and enlisted perso ...

with hourglass device * USAF Marksmanship ribbon

Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon *

Air Force Training Ribbon The Air and Space Training Ribbon (ASTR) is the lowest military award of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, ranking only above foreign military awards. The Air and Space Training Ribbon was authorized as the Air Force T ...

Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal wa ...

with Palm Unit Citation * Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal ( vi, Chiến Dịch Bội Tinh), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949, and awarded to French military personnel during the First ...

South Dakota Distinguished Service Award * SD NG Distinguished Unit Award

South Dakota Distinguished Unit Award * OK Distinguished Service Cross

South Dakota National Guard Service Award with two oak leaf clusters * 1993 Awarded the

Order of the Sword (United States) The Order of the Sword is an honor awarded within 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. O ...

Assignments

# November 1963 – February 1965, Student, pilot training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas # August 1965 – May 1967,

Pilot, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. # May 1967 – February 1968, Combat Fighter Pilot, 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand # February 1968 – July 1969, F-4 Instructor Pilot,

68th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 68th Fighter Squadron was one of the longest-serving fighter squadrons in U.S. Air Force history, remaining active almost continually for 60 years. Known as the "Lightning Lancers", on the morning of 27 June 1950 pilots of the 68th Fighter-A ...

, George Air Force Base, Calif. # August 1970 – March 1973, Squadron Fighter Pilot, 114th Tactical Fighter Group, South Dakota Air National Guard, Sioux Falls, S.D. # March 1973 – October 1974, Air Technician Flying Training Instructor, 114th Tactical Fighter Group, South Dakota Air National Guard, Sioux Falls, S.D. # October 1974 – April 1975, Outstanding Graduate F-100 Fighter Weapons School Arizona Air National Guard, Tucson, AZ. # April 1975 – September 1978, Group Weapons Tactics Officer and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 114th Tactical Fighter Group, South Dakota Air National Guard, Sioux Falls, S.D. # September 1978 – March 1983, Deputy Commander for Operations, 114th Tactical Fighter Group, South Dakota Air National Guard, Sioux Falls, S.D. # March 1983 – March 1987, Commander, 114th Tactical Fighter Group, South Dakota Air National Guard, Sioux Falls, S.D. # March 1987 – November 1988, Adjutant General, South Dakota National Guard, Rapid City, S.D. # November 1988 – January 1994, Director, Air National Guard, Washington D.C. # January 1994 – January 1998, Commander,

1st Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Conti ...

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

, and Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region,

Tyndall Air Force Base Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (325 ...

, Fla. # May 1998 – Feb 2003, Adjutant General, South Dakota National Guard, Rapid City, S.D.

References

External links

Maj Gen Killey National Guard Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killey, Philip G. 1941 births Living people People from Monmouth, Illinois Military personnel from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Illinois National Guard personnel South Dakota National Guard personnel Monmouth College alumni United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War United States Air Force generals National Guard (United States) generals Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States)