MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD H. NIGRO

Major General Edward Henry Nigro is commander of Sheppard Technical Training Center, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He is responsible for providing individual and specia1 training for officers, airmen and civilians of he U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Department of Defense and foreign nationals.

He has the responsibility of training in 17 weapon systems which include missiles; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft and aircraft engines; and all phases of the comptroller, civil engineering, communications and transportation career fields. Graduates from resident and field detachment training courses, which fall within this responsibility, number more than 300,000 yearly. Additionally, his management responsibilities include supervision for the 3630th Flying Training Wing, Air Force Medical Service School, and 110 Field and Mobile Training Detachments throughout the world. He exercises direct control over annual budget expenditures exceeding $130 million yearly.

General Nigro was born in 1918, in Worcester, Mass. He graduated from North High School, Worcester, in 1936 and from Holy Cross College in June 1940. He began his military career shortly after graduation from Holy Cross and attended flying schools at Glenview, Ill. and Gunter and Maxwell fields, Ala. In May 1941, he received his commission and pilot wings.

He has served in many capacities including pilot, operations officer, personnel officer, group and wing commander, faculty member at the Armed Forces Staff College, Air Force member of the Chairman's Staff Group, for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief of staff of a major command.

He saw combat during 1942-43 as a pilot and operations officer in England, Africa and Sicily. He participated in the invasions of Africa, Sicily and Italy, and served as a pilot in the longest nonstop flight for a paratroop assault in World War II - from England to Africa on Nov. 6, 1942.

During the Korean War, his combat assignments were as deputy chief of combat operations, Far East Air Forces Headquarters, Tokyo, in 1950, and commander of the 1st Provisional Group in Kimpo, Korea, and the 437th and 374th Troop Carrier Groups in Japan from 1951 to 1952. He led paradrops and flew night reconnaissance missions in Korea.

General Nigro graduated in 1953 from the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., and later served as a faculty member until July 1955. Between then and August 1959, he served at the Pentagon as assistant chief of staff of the War Plans Division and the Air Force member of the Chairman's Staff Group under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In June 1960, he graduated from the National War College, Washington, D.C. From July 1960 to July 1963, the general was chief of the Plans and Policy Branch for the commander in chief, Pacific at Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii.

He then went to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, where he served for a year as commander of the 3510th Flying Training Wing, then on July 19, 1964, he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned to Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, as chief of staff.

In July 1965, General Nigro was assigned as commander of the Sheppard Technical Training Center, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, his present assignment.

Among his decorations are the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Ribbon with oak leaf cluster.

(Current as of March 15, 1967)