BRIGADIER GENERAL BROWNING C. WHARTON JR.

Brigadier General Browning C. Wharton Jr. is vice commander, 22nd Air Force, Military Airlift Command, with headquarters at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. As one of three combat-ready strategic and tactical airlift arms of the Military Airlift Command, 22nd Air Force's geographical area of operations extends westward from the Mississippi River, across the Pacific and Indian oceans to the eastern coast of Africa, pole to pole. Throughout this area, 22nd Air Force performs airlift operations, provides a vast network of support facilities and maintains a flexible airlift capability in support of the global mobility and logistics needs of United States fighting forces.

General Wharton was born in 1934, in Richmond, Va., where he graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1951. He attended the University of Richmond, majoring in engineering and graduated (magna cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a bachelor of science degree in business administration through the Air Force Institute of Technology program in 1966. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Auburn (Ala.) University in 1976. The general completed Squadron Officer School in 1959 and the Air War College as a distinguished graduate in 1976. Both schools are located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

He entered pilot training in May 1954 and earned his wings at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., in August 1955. During the following six years, he flew KC-97 Stratofreighters; while assigned to the 26th Air Refueling Squadron at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, N.Y., and served as an instructor pilot, flight commander and assistant operations officer.

From February 1961 to June 1963, General Wharton was assigned as an emergency actions officer in the Control Division, Headquarters 8th Air Force, Strategic Air Command, Westover Air Force Base, Mass. He performed additional duty as a flight examiner for the 4305th Support Squadron. From June 1963 to September 1966, the general attended the University of Massachusetts.

After graduation he served at Langley Air Force Base, Va., as a C-130 Hercules pilot. General Wharton transferred to the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, in September 1967. While there he served as a standardization and evaluation pilot.

Upon his return to the United States in December 1968, the general joined the Air Staff as chief, Emergency Actions Branch, Emergency Operations Center, Fort Ritchie, Md. In June 1972 he returned to Langley Air Force Base, where he served successively as chief of the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing's Standardization and Evaluation Division; commander, 38th Tactical Airlift Squadron; and assistant deputy commander for operations for the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing.

Following completion of the Air War College in 1976, General Wharton was assigned to the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. He was named the wing's deputy commander for operations in December 1976 and become wing vice commander in May 1978.

From October 1978 to June 1980, he commanded the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing at Clark Air Base, Philippines. General Wharton then took command of the 834th Air Division at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. In August 1981 he became Military Airlift Command's assistant deputy chief of staff for operations at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He assumed his present duties in June 1982.

The general is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

He was promoted to brigadier general Oct. 1, 1981, with same date of rank.

(Current as of February 2021)