BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES KELLER DEARMOND James Keller DeArmond was born at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in 1902. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy June 12, 1925, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps. That September he became adjutant of the First Signal Company at Fort Monmouth, N.J., entering the Signal School there a year later. In June 1927 he was named signal officer at Camp Knox, Ky., becoming radio officer of the Second Signal Company at Fort Sam Houston. Texas, that December. Entering Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, in July 1929, General DeArmond graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, the following June. . Immediately thereafter he became group supply officer of the Second Bomb Group at Langley Field, Va. Entering the Communications Course at the Air Corps Technical School, Chanute Field, Ill., in July 1931, he graduated a year later, and in August 1932 completed the Field Officers Course at the Chemical Warfare School, Edgewood Arsenal, Md. Going to the Panama Canal Zone, General DeArmond served as operations officer of the Seventh Observation Squadron at France Field. Moving to Mitchel Field, N.Y., in January 1935, he was named group communications officer of the Ninth Bomb Group. He entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala., in September 1938, graduated the following June, and was appointed chief of the Communications Division, Aircraft Radio Laboratory, at Wright Field, Ohio. Ordered to Washington, D.C., in December 1941, General DeArmond was named chief of the Radar Division under the director of communications at Army Air Force headquarters, becoming chief of the Aircraft Radio Branch in the Research and Development Division, Office of the Chief Signal Officer, the following July. In November 1943 he joined the Communications Division, Air Force Board, at Orlando, Fla. Going overseas in June 1944, he was appointed communications officer of the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy, and a year later was designated communications officer for the Army Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations there. Returning to Wright Field, Ohio, in November 1945, General DeArmond became assistant chief of the Electronics Sub-Division in the Engineering Division. On Sept. 8, 1947, he was appointed Air Force coordinator on the Joint Communications Electronics Committee, Joint Chief of Staff, in Washington, D.C., and on July 15, 1949, he was named chief of the Plans and Policies Division in the Office of the Director of Communications, at Air Force headquarters. Joining the U.S. Air Force in Europe on April 2l, 1941, General DeArmond was assistant deputy chief of staff for communications at USAFE headquarters, Wiesbaden, Germany becoming deputy chief of staff for communications, USAFE, on July 1, 1951. Transferred to the Strategic Air Command in April 1955, he was assigned to the Sixth Air Division at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Order of the British Empire, and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He is rated a command pilot, combat observer and technical observer. Up to date as of February 1955