Jerome F. O'Malley
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Jerome Francis O'Malley (February 25, 1932 – April 20, 1985) was a
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (VCSAF) from 1982 to 1983; Commander in Chief,
Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...
(CINCPACAF) from 1983 to 1984; and Commander,
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
(COMTAC) from 1984 to 1985. He died in an airplane crash while still in command of Tactical Air Command.


Biography

O'Malley was born in
Carbondale, Pennsylvania Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 8,828 at the 2020 ...
, and graduated from St. Rose Parochial School in 1949. He graduated from the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
, West Point, New York, in 1953 with a bachelor of science degree in military science and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. O'Malley completed the
Air Command and Staff College The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air Un ...
at
Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
, Alabama, and concurrently earned a master's degree in business administration from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1965, and graduated from the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
, Newport, Rhode Island, in 1970. After receiving his pilot wings in August 1954 at
Bryan Air Force Base Bryan Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Brazos County, Texas, located west of Bryan. Bryan Air Force Base was originally activated in 1943 as a U.S. Army Air Forces installation known as Bryan Army Air Field. The base hous ...
, Texas, O'Malley received jet training in F-86 Sabrejets at Perrin Air Force Base, Texas. station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station and could not accommodate pilot training. In January 1955 he was assigned as an air training officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy, then located at
Lowry Air Force Base Lowry Air Force Base (Lowry Field from 1938–1948) is a former United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training base during World War II and a United States Air Force (USAF) training base during the Cold War. From 1955-1958, it served as the i ...
, Colorado. He attended
B-47 The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
transition training at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, from December 1957 to February 1958, and was then assigned as a B-47 pilot with the 529th Bombardment Squadron at
Plattsburgh Air Force Base Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC) base covering 3,447 acres (13.7 km) in the extreme northeast corner of New York, located on the western shore of Lake Champlain opposite Burl ...
, New York. From June 1960 to August 1964, O'Malley served as an aide to General
Hunter Harris Hunter Harris Jr. (November 27, 1909 – March 5, 1987) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces (CINCPACAF) from 1964 to 1967. Biography Harris was born in Fort Sam Houston, ...
, who was
Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...
commander at
Westover Air Force Base Westover may refer to: People *Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia *Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian *Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, Amer ...
, Massachusetts, and then vice commander in chief,
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
,
Offutt Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the ...
, Nebraska. Following graduation with distinction from the Air Command and Staff College in June 1965, O'Malley served as a pilot with the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing,
Beale Air Force Base Beale Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base in Yuba County, California, Yuba County, California. It is outside Linda, California, Linda, about east of the towns of Marysville, California, Marysville and Yuba City, and abo ...
, California. While there he flew the first operational mission of the
SR-71 The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired Range (aeronautics), long-range, high-altitude, Mach number, Mach 3+ military strategy, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Co ...
. In July 1969 he entered the Naval War College. From July 1970 to April 1971, he was director of operations for the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and flew RF-4Cs. O'Malley then left for Southeast Asia and served as vice commander and later commander of the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. In September 1971 he was assigned as vice commander of the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing,
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (Udorn RTAFB) is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of 23rd Wing Air Command. It is in the city of Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand and is the main airport serving the city and province. The RTAF 23 ...
, Thailand. He flew 116 combat missions in F-4D's and RF-4Cs. He commanded the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base from May 1972 to May 1973. He was then named commander of the 22d Bombardment Wing,
March Air Force Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB), is located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Comm ...
, California, and later served as chief of staff for
Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...
, also located at March Air Force Base. He was then assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff for plans at SAC headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base, from July 1974 to June 1975, when he was named deputy chief of staff for operations plans. In January 1977 he moved to Washington, D.C., for duty as vice director for operations, Operations Directorate, Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. O'Malley served as assistant deputy chief of staff, operations, plans and readiness at U.S. Air Force headquarters, from May 1979 to August 1980, when he became deputy chief of staff for plans and operations. He was appointed vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force in June 1982 and in October 1983 was named commander in chief of the
Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...
,
Hickam Air Force Base Hickam Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) United States Air Force installation, installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel (United States), Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The installation merged ...
, Hawaii. He assumed command of
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
in September 1984. General O'Malley died on April 20, 1985, with his wife Diane when the CT-39 Sabreliner they were in experienced hydraulic failure at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport. Also killed in the accident were Capt. Harry L. Haugh, the pilot; Sgt. Robert A. Eberflus, the crew chief and Lt. Col. Lester R. Newton, the co-pilot. Lt Col Newton had given his seat in the cockpit to General O’Malley and was seated in the cabin with Mrs. O’Malley. At the time of General O'Malley's death, General Robert D. Russ assumed command of the Tactical Air Command. He was buried with full military honors at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
.


Awards and honors

O'Malley was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. His military decorations and awards included:


References


See also

* List of commanders of Tactical Air Command {{DEFAULTSORT:Omalley, Jerome F. 1932 births 1985 deaths People from Carbondale, Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania Aviators from Pennsylvania United States Air Force generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal Order of National Security Merit members Vice chiefs of staff of the United States Air Force Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1985 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Accidental deaths in Pennsylvania Burials at Arlington National Cemetery George Washington University alumni Naval War College alumni