MAJOR GENERAL STANTON R. MUSSER

Major General Stanton R. Musser is commander of the Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, Norton Air Force Base, Calif.

General Musser was born in 1936, in Watsontown, Pa., and graduated from Gettysburg (Pa.) High School in 1954. He earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Gettysburg College in 1958 and a master of arts degree in personnel management from Central Michigan University in 1975. He completed Squadron Officer School in 1964 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1974. In 1978 he was named a distinguished alumnus of Gettysburg College. The general completed the program for senior executives in National and International Security at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in 1982.

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program and began pilot training at Malden Air Base, Mo., in August 1958. Upon completion of pilot training at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas, in August 1959, he received his pilot wings. He then was assigned to Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., and later to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., where he completed F-100 combat crew training in July 1960. After survival school training at Stead Air Force Base, Nev., in September 1960, he was assigned to the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, as an F-100 fighter-bomber aircraft commander.

In July 1964 General Musser was assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Force Base, Fla., as an F-100 pilot and later served as chief of wing training and scheduling. During this assignment he served a temporary tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam as a forward air controller, flying 177 combat missions in O-1F Bird Dogs with "A" Brigade, Republic of Vietnam army.

The general transferred to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., as an air officer commanding in April 1966. He was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, at Nellis Air Force Base in December 1966. He flew with the Thunderbirds when the team changed from F-100 Super Sabres to F-4E Phantom IIs in 1969. During his time as a team member, he flew more than 300 official aerial demonstrations in the United States and 20 foreign countries.

General Musser returned to Southeast Asia in May 1970 and flew F-4E's as assistant operations officer, 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron and later as assistant deputy commander for operations, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. During this tour of duty, he completed another 86 combat missions.

From January 1971 to August 1973 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as chief of the Tactics Branch, Tactical Forces Division, Directorate of Operations. After graduating from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in July 1974, General Musser became assistant deputy commander for operations, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., again flying F-4E's. He returned to the Air Force Academy in July 1975 as deputy commandant of the Cadet Wing and in March 1977 became vice commandant of cadets.

In October 1977 the general was assigned as vice commander of the first operational F-15 wing, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Va. In August 1979 he became commander of the 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. General Musser transferred to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in April 1980 as commander of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing.

He was assigned as vice commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in February 1982. In July 1983 he became chief, Office of Military Cooperation, Cairo, Egypt, where he also served as the senior military adviser to the ambassador. From July 1985 to July 1986 the general was assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics and engineering at Air Force headquarters. He then served as deputy director of the Defense Logistics Agency, Cameron Station, Va. He assumed his present command in September 1987.

The general is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours, primarily in F-4s, F-15s and F-100s. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal.

He was promoted to major general June 1, 1985, with date of rank June 1, 1981.

(Current as of November 1987)