MAJOR GENERAL CLIFFORD J. KRONAUER JR.

Major General Clifford J. Kronauer Jr., is chief of staff, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

General Kronauer was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1920. He graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute at Roswell, N.M., in 1940, and earned his bachelor (1951) and master of science (1952) degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began his military career when he entered flying school at Craig Field, Ala., where he graduated in August 1941 with a commission as second lieutenant.

He was assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command where he specialized in instrument flying and served with the Instrument Pilot Instructor's School at Bryan, Texas. During 1945 he attended Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He was assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Field, Fla., in July 1946 where he was a design and development officer and test pilot.

In June 1947 General Kronauer was transferred to Far East Air Forces where he became chief of maintenance for the 1st Air Division and Thirteenth Air Force on Okinawa. He returned to the United States in 1949 and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In June 1952 he was reassigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., as chief of test operations at the Air Force Armament Center. General Kronauer was assigned to the Air Force Missile Test Center at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., in January 1956, where he became director of range operations.

In August 1960 he began a tour of duty at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., serving as chief of the Ranges and Space Ground Environment Division, director of systems services; and chief of the Space Division. In July 1964 he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense as assistant director, Ranges and Space Ground Support.

In July 1967 he was assigned as commander of the Air Force Western Test Range, Air Force Systems Command, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and became the first commander of the Space and Missile Test Center when that organization was formed at Vandenberg in April 1970.

General Kronauer was appointed chief of staff, Air Force Systems Command, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., in August 1970.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

General Kronauer's hometown is El Paso, Texas.

He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective Jan. 24, 1969, with date of rank Oct. 22, 1964.

(Current as of March 15, 1971)