BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES C. DEVER JR.

Brigadier General James C. Dever Jr. is deputy chief of staff for contracting and manufacturing, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

General Dever was born in Philadelphia in 1933. He graduated from St. John the Baptist High School there in 1950. He was awarded his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps program upon graduation in 1954 from St. Joseph's College, also in Philadelphia. He received a master's degree in business administration in 1971 from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, and was a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., in 1972.

He entered active duty in October 1954 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and received his primary flying training at Stallings Air Base, Kinston, N.C. He completed basic flying training at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas, and was awarded his wings in December 1955.

The general was assigned to the Air Training Command at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., in January 1956 flying T-33s in support of controller training for the ground control intercept mission of the Air Defense Command. In January 1959 he started combat crew training with the Strategic Air Command as a B-47 aircraft commander at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. He was subsequently assigned to Chennault Air Force Base, La., as a B-47 aircraft commander and operations staff officer in the 68th Bombardment Wing. He completed B-52 crew training in August 1963 at Castle Air Force Base, Calif., and was then assigned to the 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y., where he served until August 1966 as a B-52 aircraft commander.

In 1966 he was selected for the Air Force Institute of Technology's Education With Industry program and was assigned to the AVCO/Lycoming Division of the AVCO Corporation in Stratford, Conn. Upon completion of the program in June 1967, he went to George Air Force Base, Calif., for F-4 combat crew training. In April 1968 he was assigned to the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, where he flew 196 combat missions as an F-4 aircraft commander and assistant squadron operations officer.

From April 1969 to July 1971, General Dever was assigned to Air Force Logistics Command as chief of the Production Planning and Management Division, Directorate of Procurement and Production, Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan Air Force Base, Calif. He then attended the Naval War College.

He was assigned to Headquarters Air Force Contract Management Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., from July 1972 to February 1974, when he transferred to Culver City, Calif., as deputy commander and then commander of the Air Force Plant Representative Office at Hughes Aircraft Company.

In July 1976 the general was assigned as director, Contracting and Manufacturing, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., until May 1979. He then served as deputy chief of staff for contracting and manufacturing at Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. General Dever was responsible for management of a $6 billion contracting program in support of the command's logistics mission. The command completes more than 600,000 contracting actions yearly supporting the U.S. Air Force and 62 friendly foreign air forces under the foreign military sales program. The general returned to Kirtland Air Force Base in April 1980, as commander of the Air Force Contract Management Division. He assumed his present duties in February 1983.

General Dever is a command pilot with 4,700 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

He was promoted to brigadier general Sept. 8, 1980, with date of rank Aug. 17, 1980.

(Current as of Apri1 1983)