 |
| Information > Biographies > LIEUTENANT GENERAL ARNOLD W. BRASWELL |
|
LIEUTENANT GENERAL ARNOLD W. BRASWELL
|
|
|
|
| Bio Tools |
|
|
|
|
Retired Oct. 1, 1983.
Lieutenant General Arnold W. Braswell is commander in chief, Pacific Air Forces, with headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. His command comprises more than 34,000 Air Force operational and support personnel stationed at eight major bases and more than 87 facilities principally located in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Hawaii.
General Braswell was born in 1925 in Minden, La., and graduated from Minden High School. He attended Louisiana State University for two years and in 1944 entered the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. While at the academy, he was first captain of the corps of cadets and graduated in 1948 with honors and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He earned a master's degree in business administration from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1967. The general completed Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1962 and the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., in 1967.
After completing flying training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., in September 1949, he became a member of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Otis Air Force Base, Mass., where he flew F-86 Sabrejets.
In 1952, during the Korean War, General Braswell flew 155 combat missions in jet fighters as a member of the 49th Fighter Wing, Taegu Air Base, South Korea, and the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kimpo Air Base, South Korea.
From September 1952 to September 1955, he was a flight instructor and operations officer in the 3600th Combat Crew Training Group at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. When the U.S. Air Force Academy opened at Lowry Air Force Base, Colo., in 1955, General Braswell was assigned as commander of one of the original four cadet squadrons and served in that capacity for three years.
In October 1958 he was again assigned to the 49th Fighter Wing, which had been relocated to Etain Air Base, France, where for a time he supervised training of French and Turkish pilots in F-100s and then commanded the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
The general returned to the United States in August 1961 to attend the Air Command and Staff College. He transferred to Washington, D.C., in July 1962 and was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Directorate of Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations. In August 1966 General Braswell entered the National War College and concurrently completed his master's degree in business administration at The George Washington University in 1967.
He began a tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam in July 1967 as director of plans, Headquarters 7th Air Force, in Saigon. Though a staff officer, he flew 40 combat missions, most of them in F-4 Phantoms.
Following his return from Southeast Asia in August 1968, General Braswell became the director of operations for the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. He was again assigned to Air Force headquarters in August 1969 in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, where he served initially as an Air Staff planning representative in Joint Staff planning conferences. In April 1970 he became deputy director for force development in the Directorate of Plans, and in February 1972 he became deputy director of plans. In February 1973 General Braswell assumed command of The United States Logistics Group in Ankara, Turkey.
General Braswell was assigned to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium, as assistant chief of staff for operations from September 1974 to June 1977. In July 1977 he returned to the United States as director for plans and policy (J-5), Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. He became commander of Tactical Air Command's 9th Air Force with headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., in June 1978. While there he also served as commander of the Air Force elements assigned to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force. He assumed his present command in June 1981.
The general is a command pilot and has logged more than 4,500 flying hours, most of these in jet fighters. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters.
He was promoted to lieutenant general July 1, 1977, with date of rank June 28, 1977.
(Current as of August 1981)
|
|
|
|
|
Printable bio
