LIEUTENANT GENERAL DALE S. SWEAT

Lieutenant General Dale S. Sweat is vice commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

General Sweat was born in 1921, in Lafayette, Ill., where he graduated from Lafayette High School in 1939. He attended the University of Illinois prior to entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. While a cadet he completed the Army Air Forces Flying Training School at Stewart Field, N.Y. He graduated from the academy in June 1943.

After various fighter pilot assignments in the United States, he was assigned in January 1945 to the 78th Tactical Fighter Wing in England and flew P-51 aircraft on long range escort during World War II. He served in Germany with the Army of Occupation in Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe until May 1947, when he returned to the United States for duty in the Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C.

He returned to Germany in November 1951 to command the 527th Fighter Squadron of the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, first at Neubiberg, Germany, and subsequently Landstuhl, Germany. In June 1954 he was assigned as executive officer, Directorate of Military Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

In July 1958 General Sweat assumed command of the 79th Fighter Group at Youngstown Municipal Airport, Ohio. When the base closed in February 1960, he was again assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Directorate of Military Personnel, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel. He entered the National War College in August 1960. After graduation in July 1961, he served two years as deputy commander for operations, 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, Naha Air Base, Okinawa.

In August 1963 General Sweat took command of the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., and later commanded the 832d Air Division there. Overseas F-100 deployments from Cannon Air Force Base included squadron rotations to Clark Air Base in the Philippines; Misawa Air Base, Japan; Republic of Vietnam; and Iran. In July 1967 he was assigned as Seventh Air Force director of combat operations at Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam.

He was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, in August 1968, as assistant deputy chief of staff, operations, and became deputy chief of staff, plans, in January 1969. General Sweat assumed command of the Seventeenth Air Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in February 1971. He was assigned as vice commander, Tactical Air Command, in August 1972.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal (Air Force design) with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Army Commendation Ribbon, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon. He is a command pilot.

General Sweat's hometown is Lafayette, Ill.

He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general effective Aug. 1, 1972, with date of rank July 31, 1972.

(Current as of Sept. 1, 1972)