MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT TAYLOR III

Robert Taylor III, was born in Catonsville, Md., in 1913. On his graduation from the Augusta Military Academy of Virginia, he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy, graduating therefrom on June 12, 1937. He was then commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the Air Corps.

His first duty assignment was to Randolph Field, Texas, where he completed primary Flying School. Thereafter, he was assigned to Kelly Field, Texas, and graduated from Advanced Flying School Oct. 5, 1938. He received his aeronautical rating as a pilot April 1, 1939.

Lieutenant Taylor served successively at Hamilton Field, Calif., Second Air Force Headquarters, Spokane, Wash., and at the Technical Training Command at Denver, Colo., performing various squadron duties. He was promoted with the grade of first lieutenant June 12, 1940. On Sept. 9, he was promoted to the grade of captain.

In December 1941, Captain Taylor was appointed an adviser on miltary aviation with the Directorate of Civil Defense, Washington, D.C.

On March 1, 1942, Captain Taylor was appointed a major. In April 1942, Major Taylor became the operations officer of the 44th Bomb Group (Heavy) and in September of that year went with his unit to England. He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant colonel Sept. 23, 1942. He commanded the Combat Crew Replacement Center near London from December 1942 until January 1944, when he assumed command of the 487th Bomb Group (Heavy), Lavenham, England. He was promoted to the grade of colonel Oct. 25, 1943.

From January until June 1945, he served as deputy commander of the 95th Bomb Wing (Heavy) in England. He returned to the U.S. in June 1945 to enter the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., graduating therefrom in February 1946. He was then assigned to Washington, D.C., and designated chief of the Collection Division, Directorate of Air Intelligence. He remained there until August 1949 when he entered the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. After his graduation in June 1950, he was appointed special assistant to the Director of Intelligence at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

In August 1952, Colonel Taylor was reassigned to Athens, Greece, with duties as chief of planning activities for the Eastern Mediterranean Area. While on this assignment, he was promoted to brigadier general Dec. 15, 1953. On Feb. 1, 1954, he was designated chief of staff, Allied Air Forces, Southern Europe, and stationed at Naples, Italy.

On his return to the U.S. in July 1955, he was assigned to Co1orado Springs, Colo., where he performed duties as deputy chief of staff, intelligence, Continental Air Defense Command Headquarters. On the activation of NORAD Headquarters at that station in September 1957, General Taylor performed that same duty for the new command.

On 21 March 1959, he was transferred to Ottawa, Canada, and designated chief, U.S. Air Force Central Coordinating Staff-Canada. He has served in that position until the present date. On June 30, 1959, he was promoted to the grade of major general.

The U.S. Air Force Central Coordinating Staff-Canada is a field extension of Deputy Chief of Staff/Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. It is the principal Air Force liaison agency in Canada. In this assignment, General Taylor is charged with the responsibility of promoting and perpetuating the friendly and harmonious relationship between the U.S. Air Force and the Canadian Government. USAF CCS-C monitors the USAF-RCAF Exchange Officer Program, providing administrative support for 50 U.S. Air Force officers assigned to exchange officer duties with the RCAF throughout Canada. The unit obtains theater clearances for more than 4,000 U.S. Air Force sponsored visitors to Canada each year. The many and varied responsibilities of this assignment require General Taylor to have an intimate knowledge of Air Force interests and programs within Canada. He must, of course, work in close harmony with top Canadian defense and diplomatic officials.


(Current as of July 1962)