MAJOR GENERAL HOYT S. VANDENBERG JR.

Major General Hoyt S. Vandenberg Jr. is vice commander in chief, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

General Vandenberg was born in 1928, in Riverside, Calif. He graduated from Western High School, Washington, D.C., in 1946, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in June 1951, with a commission as a second lieutenant and a bachelor of science degree. He earned a master of science degree in international relations at The George Washington University in 1969. He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the National War College.

After graduating from the academy, General Vandenberg attended pilot training at Hondo Field, Texas; Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.; and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., culminating in his completion of F-86 combat crew training.

In November 1953 General Vandenberg was assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Germany as a fighter pilot and flight commander. In January 1957 he served as flight commander with the 413th and 31st Tactical Fighter Wings at George Air Force Base, Calif. He completed Air Command and Staff College in June 1961.

General Vandenberg continued to fly tactical fighters and next was assigned to the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. He returned to Germany in September 1963 and served successively as operations officer with the 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, commander of the 36th Organizational Maintenance Squadron and commander of the 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron.

In October 1966 General Vandenberg went to Southeast Asia, where he commanded the 390th "Blue Boars" Tactical Fighter Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. He completed 100 missions over North Vietnam.

He returned to the United States in June 1967 and was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Director of Plans as a plans and programs officer. He entered the National War College in August 1968 and earned his master of science degree. After graduation in August 1969, he returned to the Pentagon for duty with the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In January 1971 he become commander of the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. The 12th Flying Wing's mission was to train all the instructor pilots for the Air Training Command, as well as manage the Air Force Instrument Flight Center.

General Vandenberg was appointed vice commandant of cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., in August 1972. In February 1973 he assumed duties as commandant of cadets until his departure in August 1975.

General Vandenberg served as chief, Armish Military Assistance Advisory Group in Tehran, Iran, until January 1976. He then was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, where he served as deputy director of plans until August 1976, and as director of operations and readiness until July 1978 when he became assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and readiness. He assumed his current position on March 18, 1979.

He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying time in the F-80, F-86, F-105, F-4 and operational training flying time accomplished in the T-33, T-37, T-38 and CT-39.

General Vandenberg's military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation emblem, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon, Combat Readiness Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.

He was promoted to the grade of major general Sept. 1, 1975, with date of rank June 1, 1973.

General Vandenberg's father was General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, chief of staff of the Air Force from April 1948 to June 1953. His hometown is San Antonio, Texas.

(Current as of July 1979)