MAJOR GENERAL HARRY FALLS JR.

Major General Harry Falls Jr. is deputy inspector general, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

General Falls was born in Kings Mountain, N.C., and graduated from Lee H. Edwards High School, Asheville, N.C. He graduated from Clemson (S.C.) University in 1949 with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and completed Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1961.

He entered aviation cadet training at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1949 and graduated from Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., in June 1950 with his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant.

From June 1950 to September 1953, General Falls served as a fighter pilot and flight commander at Furstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany. He then joined the Air Training Command, serving first at James Connally Air Force Base, Texas, as an instructor pilot and later at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas, as chief, standardization and evaluation, and squadron operations officer. From November 1957 to December 1958, he was flight commander and operations officer at Osan Air Base, South Korea. He returned to the United States and served with the 33rd Air Division at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Mo., as a staff officer until September 1960.

After graduating from Air Command and Staff College, he was assigned as a flying safety officer at Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. From June 1964 to June 1967, he was F-5 project officer with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Norway.

He completed the U.S. Air Force Operational Training Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., in April 1968. Subsequently he served a one-year tour of duty at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, as an F-4 squadron operations officer and squadron commander. In the spring of 1969, he was assigned to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, as an operations staff officer in the Force Plans and Strategy Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans.

The general transferred to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in July 1972 as deputy commander of operations for the 47th Flying Training Wing and assumed command of the wing in June 1973. He was named assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, Headquarters Air Training Command, in July 1975. General Falls became deputy commander, 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, Vicenza, Italy, in August 1976. In May 1979 he became assistant for readiness, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

From August 1979 to January 1980, he commanded the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, also at Ramstein Air Base, and the Kaiserslautern Military Community, the largest community of Army and Air Force personnel outside the continental United States. He then served as deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence at U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters until March 1981.

General Falls returned to the United States and was assigned to Norton Air Force Base, Calif., as deputy inspector general for inspection and safety, and commander of the Air Force Inspection and Safety Center. He assumed his present duties in July 1982.

The general is a command pilot. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 15 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with "V" device and oak leaf cluster.

He was promoted to major general Feb. 4, 1980, with date of rank July 1, 1976.

(Current as of September 1982)