MAJOR GENERAL ALBERT W. SCHINZ

Major General Albert W. Schinz is commander of the Twelfth Air Force with headquarters at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas.

General Schinz was born in 1919, in Ottawa, Ill., where he attended primary and high school. He graduated from LaSalle-Peru-Oglesby Junior College, LaSalle, Ill., in 1939, and later attended Illinois Wesleyan University, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration in 1948.

In May 1940 General Schinz entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. He completed basic and advanced pilot training at Kelly Field, Texas, in December 1940. Prior to World War II, he was a member of the 31st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Mich.

During World War II, General Schinz served in the Pacific Theater of Operations, as pilot, flight commander, operations officer, squadron commander and then deputy group commander with the 41st Fighter Squadron and 475th Fighter Group in New Guinea. During the later months of the war, he served as director of training for a fighter replacement unit.

In September 1946 he entered Illinois Wesleyan University and after graduation in February 1948 was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C., where he served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. In 1951 he was chief, Fighter Branch, when he was assigned to the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea as deputy commander.

In July 1952 General Schinz returned to the United States and went to Headquarters Ninth Air Force at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., as deputy director of operations. In June 1953 he again went overseas, this time to Europe as commander of the 50th Fighter Bomber Group. In March 1954 he became director of operations and training at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Wiesbaden, Germany.

From August 1956 to August 1959, General Schinz was assigned as director and then chief of staff for operations at Headquarters Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Washington, D.C. In August 1959 he entered the National War College, Washington, D.C.

In June 1960 he assumed command of the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, England Air Force Base, La., and in that capacity also served at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. In 1961 he attended the Staff Officers Materiel Management Course at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill. In March 1962 he became commander of the 832nd Air Division at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., and in January 1964 was transferred to another tactical Air Command organization as commander of the 836th Air Division at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. The 836th Air Division introduced the first F-4C aircraft into the U.S. Air Force inventory during his command.

In July 1965 he became chief of the Air Force Advisory Group, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. The mission of the Advisory Group was to assist and train the Republic of Vietnam Air Force.

General Schinz assumed command of the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in November 1966. He was assigned in July 1968 as deputy chief of staff for operations, Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.

General Schinz assumed command of the Twelfth Air Force with headquarters at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, in March 1970.

He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with two oak leaf clusters, Vietnam National Order - 4th Class, Vietnam Distinguished Service Medal - 1st Class, and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

General Schinz's hometown is Ottawa, Ill.

He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective July 1, 1967, with date of rank, July 2, 1962.

(Current as of March 1, 1970)