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| Information > Biographies > LIEUTENANT GENERAL THOMAS J. HICKEY |
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LIEUTENANT GENERAL THOMAS J. HICKEY
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Retired Jan. 1, 1992.
Retired as a major general.
Lieutenant General Thomas J. Hickey is deputy chief of staff for personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
General Hickey was born in 1934, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and graduated from Logan (Iowa) High School in 1952. He was awarded a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Iowa State University, Ames, in 1956. The general completed Air Command and Staff College and concurrently earned a master's degree in public administration from The George Washington University in 1967. He completed Squadron Officer School in 1963 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1974.
The general was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program and entered active duty in the Air Force in June 1957 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He then began primary pilot training at Bartow Air Force Base, Fla., and after completing basic flight training at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, received his pilot wings in July 1958.
From September 1958 to December 1958 General Hickey received KC-97 transition training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and then transferred to Westover Air Force Base, Mass., for aircrew duty. In June 1964, while at Westover, he became an aide-de-camp to the 8th Air Force deputy commander.
After completing Air Command and Staff College in August 1967, General Hickey was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., for F-4 combat crew training. He transferred to the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing "Gunfighters" at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in June 1968 as an aircraft commander with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The general moved with the squadron to Phu Cat Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in April 1969. While in Southeast Asia General Hickey flew 220 combat missions, 63 over North Vietnam.
Upon his return to the United States in July 1969, the general was assigned to the Directorate of Personnel Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, at Air Force headquarters until July 1973. After graduating from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in July 1974, General Hickey was assigned to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., where he served as the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing's assistant deputy commander for operations, then as deputy commander for operations, and later as vice commander. In August 1976 he assumed command of the wing.
In November 1977 General Hickey was assigned as deputy chief of staff for personnel for Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va. From June 1980 to July 1981 he was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Personnel, Air Force headquarters, as deputy director of personnel programs. He then transferred to Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, as deputy chief of staff for technical training. In September 1983 he was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., as commander of the Keesler Technical Training Center. The general assumed his present duties in August 1986.
General Hickey is a command pilot. His military decorations and awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 13 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with silver star and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
He was promoted to lieutenant general Aug. 15, 1986, with same date of rank.
(Current as November 1986)
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