MAJOR GENERAL LESTER FRED MILLER

Major General Lester Fred Miller is the director of personnel training and education, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

General Miller was born in 1917, in Dearborn County, Ind. His early education was in Indiana, and he attended high school in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended the University of Minnesota from 1936 to 1940, majoring in petroleum engineering. He entered the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in January 1942 and received his commission and pilot wings at Turner Field, Ga., in November 1942.

He then entered B-17 pilot training and in January 1943 was assigned duty as an instructor in B-17s for a short period of time, after which he was assigned to the 448th Bombardment Group, a B-24 unit, as squadron operations officer. He deployed with the 448th Bombardment Wing of the Eighth Air Force to England. General Miller remained with the 448th Bombardment Group through two combat tours, flying 33 bombing missions in the European Theater of Operations -- many of them against targets in Germany -- with some 200 combat flying hours. He served first as a squadron operations officer, then successively as squadron commander, station operations officer, group air executive and finally as station commander.

Following the end of World War II, General Miller entered the inactive Reserve force. In 1947 he received a regular commission and returned to active duty.

He served a tour of duty in Air Training Command and in 1951 entered Strategic Air Command Headquarters in the Office of the Directorate of Plans. In January 1955 he was assigned to the 7th Air Division, England, where he served for three years as the director of plans.

General Miller returned to the United States and was assigned to Biggs Air Force Base, Texas, as director of materiel, 97th Bombardment Wing. In October 1958 he was assigned to Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., as vice commander of the 92d Bombardment Wing and one year later he became commander. In July 1962 he was reassigned to SAC Headquarters as deputy director of personnel.

General Miller commanded the 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing at Walker Air Force Base, N.M., from June 1965 to July 1966. He was assigned as deputy chief of staff, Personnel, at Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and in August 1967 he became chief of staff, Air Training Command.

He was assigned as director of personnel training and education, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in August 1968.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

(Current as of Sept. 15, 1968)