BRIGADIER GENERAL DIANN A. HALE

Brigadier General Diann A. Hale is chief of the Air Force Nurse Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

General Hale was born in Santa Maria, Calif., and graduated from Gridley (Calif.) Union High School in 1951. She received her nursing diploma from the Highland School of Nursing in Oakland, Calif., in 1955, a bachelor of science degree in nursing through the Air Force Institute of Technology program in 1966 and a master of science degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco, in 1973.

After joining the U.S. Air Force in July 1956, she completed the basic orientation course at Gunter Air Force Base, Ala., in August 1956. The general was then assigned as a staff nurse at the Air Force hospital at Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kan., later named Schilling Air Force Base. Her next assignment was to the Air Force hospital at Moron Air Base, Spain, in February 1959.

In March 1962 she returned to the United States and was assigned to the Air Force hospital at Mather Air Force Base, Calif. While there she completed the flight nurse course at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, in September 1962. General Hale began an Air Force Institute of Technology sponsored study at the University of California, San Francisco, in September 1964.

From July 1966 to July 1968, she was assigned as a flight nurse and later assistant chief nurse for the 901st Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. Following her return to the United States, General Hale was selected as flight nurse reserve adviser at March Air Force Base, Calif. She moved to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., in May 1970 as flight nurse adviser for reserve affairs in the Office of the Command Surgeon at Headquarters Military Airlift Command. In August 1972 the general returned to the University of California, San Francisco, to begin graduate studies.

After graduation in June 1973, General Hale transferred to Germany and was assigned first as supervisor of outpatient nursing and later as assistant chairman, department of nursing at the Air Force hospital at Wiesbaden Air Base. In August 1975 she became chief nurse at the U.S. Air Force Regional Hospital at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. Following this assignment in December 1976, the general was named chairman of the department of nursing at the USAF Medical Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with additional duty as the command nurse for Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command. From March 1978 to May 1979, she served as Air Force Logistics Command's command nurse.

She then joined the Medical Inspection Directorate at Headquarters Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, Norton Air Force Base, Calif. In May 1982 General Hale moved to Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, as command nurse. She assumed her present duties in October 1982.

Her military decorations and awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with five oak leaf clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

She is a member of the American Nurses Association; California Nurses Association; National League for Nursing; Sigma Theta Tau, National Nursing Honor Society; Highland School of Nursing Alumni Association; University of California San Francisco School of Nursing Alumni Association; Association of Military Surgeons of the United States; Aerospace Medical Association Associate Fellow and Flight Nurse Section; Air Force Association; and the Association for Practitioners in Infection Control.

General Hale was promoted to brigadier general Oct. 1, 1982, with same date of rank.

(Current as of March 1983)