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LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES A. FAIN JR.

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Retired May 1, 1995.  

Lieutenant General James A. Fain Jr. is assistant vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

The general was born in Ashland, Ala., and graduated from Albany (Ga.) High School in 1959. For the first 18 years of his career he flew as a line pilot and a test pilot. Since 1981, he has been in system program management as the LANTIRN system program director, the advanced tactical fighter/F-22 system program director and as commander of Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

EDUCATION
1963 Bachelor's degree in engineering science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
1968 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1971 Master's degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1972 Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
1976 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1976 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1963 - March 1965, student, undergraduate pilot training, Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
2. March 1965 - December 1967, B-52H co-pilot, 644th Bomber Squadron, K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich.
3. December 1967 - December 1969, B-52H pilot, Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
4. December 1969 - July 1971, B-52H aircraft commander, research and development program, Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
5. July 1971 - July 1972, student, Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
6. July 1972 - April 1973, student, Air Force Operational Training Course, F-4C Tactical Fighter Test Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
7. April 1973 - April 1974, F-4 pilot, 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
8. April 1974 - December 1975, aerospace research flight test officer, 4900th Test Group, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
9. January 1976 - September 1978, deputy chief, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
10. October 1978 - January 1981, deputy director, A-10 Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
11. January 1981 - August 1981, director, Low Altitude and Navigation Targeting Infrared System for Night Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
12. August 1981 - August 1984, director, Test and Integration Division, STRIKE System Program Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; chief of projects, F-15 SPO
13. August 1984 - December 1986, director, Strike System Program Office, (system program manager for LANTIRN), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
14. December 1986 - June 1992, program director, advanced tactical fighter, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
15. July 1992 - May 1993, deputy chief of staff, requirements, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
16. May 1993 - October 1994, commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
17. October 1994 - present, assistant vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot, test pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,500
Aircraft flown: A-10, A-37, B-52, F-4, F-104, T- 33 and T-38

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Vietnam Service Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1985 Air Force Association Award for program management
1988 Lt. Gen. James T. Stewart Award for program management
1991 Air Force Association Award for program management
1991 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award for program management

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun 5, 1963
First Lieutenant Dec 4, 1964
Captain Mar 10, 1967
Major Apr 1, 1974
Lieutenant Colonel Aug 1, 1979
Colonel Mar 1, 1984
Brigadier General Jul 1, 1989
Major General Jan 1, 1992
Lieutenant General Jun 1, 1993

(Current as of February 1995)






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