Lieutenant General Sanford Kenneth Moats (born December 4, 1921) is an American Air Force lieutenant general and fighter ace. He was vice commander of the Tactical Air Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, responsible for maintaining peak combat efficiency in the tactical fighter and reconnaissance operations, and training air and ground crews as required for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Pacific Air Forces.

Biography

Moats was born in 1921, in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. He attended

Kansas State College Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

before entering the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. He completed pilot training and was commissioned a second lieutenant in December 1943. Moats went to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1944 as a P-51 Mustang pilot. During his service in the European Theater of Operations, he flew 89 combat missions with a total of 367 combat hours and qualified as an ace. Moats participated in repelling the German ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

''s Operation ''Bodenplatte''. In 1945 he was transferred to the Pacific area for duty with the U.S. Army Air Forces and returned later that year to Army Air Forces headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 1947 he again went overseas and was assigned to the 81st Fighter Wing at Wheeler Field, Hawaii. Following exchange duty in 1950 with the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...

, he rejoined the

81st Fighter Wing The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force's largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually. ...

at Royal Air Force Station Bentwaters, England, in 1951, as pilot, operations officer, and then commander of the 91st Fighter Squadron. Moats was assigned in September 1955 to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he was chief of the Civil Branch, Community Relations Division. In December 1957 he assumed command of the 60th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Otis Air Force Base, Mass. In September 1960 he was named director, Combat Operations, 26th Air Division at Hancock Field, Syracuse, N.Y., and became director of operations and training before leaving there in January 1963. Moats attended the Military Assistance Institute and in March 1963 was assigned to the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Republic of China, in Taipei. In July 1965 he became vice commander of the

401st Tactical Fighter Wing The 401st Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe to be activated or inactivated at any time as needed. It is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The group was fi ...

at England Air Force Base, La. During this tour of duty, he flew 18 combat missions while on temporary duty in Southeast Asia. The 401st Wing moved in April 1966 to Torrejon Air Base, Spain, where he assumed command of the wing in April 1967, and became vice commander of Sixteenth Air Force in November 1968. Moats was assigned as vice commander, Tenth Air Force, at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri, in August 1969, and was commander,

26th Air Division The 26th Air Division (26th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inacti ...

and 26th North American Air Defense Command Region, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., from November 1969 until August 1970. Moats returned to Europe in September 1970 as chief of the Joint U.S. Military Group-Military Assistance Advisory Group, Spain, and in October 1972 assumed command of

Sixteenth Air Force The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...

. On August 20, 1973, he was promoted to

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 ...

and appointed commander of the Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force with headquarters at Izmir, Turkey. He became vice commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va., in September 1975. Moats retired on July 1, 1977. His military decorations and awards include the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

with oak leaf cluster,

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 ...

, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster,

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 11 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters,

Belgian Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de guerre'' ( French) or ''Oorlogskruis'' (Dutch), both literally translating as "Cross of War", is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Belgium established by royal decree on 25 October 1915. It was primarily awarded for bravery ...

with palm, and the Spanish Grand Cross of the Order of the Aeronautical Merit with white device. Moats' hometown is Mission, Kansas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moats, Sanford 1921 births United States Air Force generals Living people American World War II flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Military personnel from Missouri People from Kansas City, Missouri People from Mission, Kansas United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II American expatriates in the United Kingdom American expatriates in Taiwan United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)