Ronald Fogleman

Ronald Fogleman

General Ronald Robert Fogleman (born January 1942) was Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief, he served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of 750,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and the other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the president.

A 1963 graduate from the United States Air Force Academy, he holds a master's degree in military history and political science, Duke University. A command pilot and a parachutist, he has amassed more than 6,800 flying hours in fighter, transport, tanker and rotary wing aircraft. He flew 315 combat missions and logged 806 hours of combat flying in fighter aircraft.

In early assignments he instructed student pilots, performed combat duty as a fighter pilot and high-speed forward air controller in Vietnam and Thailand, taught history at the Air Force Academy and conducted flight operations in Europe -- including duty as an F-15 Eagle aircraft demonstration pilot for international airshows. He commanded an Air Force wing, an air division, a numbered air force, a major command and a unified command.

General Fogleman was the first graduate of the United States Air Force Academy to advance to Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

General Fogleman retired September 1 1997. He currently has a seat of Boards of Directors of Alliant Techsystems, AAR Corporation, Mesa Air Group, Inc., and World Air Holdings, Inc. [1]

Awards and decorations

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
• Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
• Army Distinguished Service Medal
• Navy Distinguished Service Medal
• Silver Star
• Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
• Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
• Purple Heart
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Air Medal with 17 oak leaf clusters
• Aerial Achievement Medal
• Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
• Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars
• Order of National Security Merit, Kooksun, Republic of Korea
• Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
• Venezuelan Air Force Cross, First Class
• Knight Grand Cross, First Class, of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
• Grand Cordon, First Class, of the Rising Sun, Japan
• Royal Order, First Class, of the Polar Star, Sweden
• Legion of Merit, System of Cooperation among American Air Forces
• Legion of Honor, with the rank of Commander, France