Lieutenant General Evan W. Rosencrans is deputy commander in chief, United Nations Command, deputy commander, U.S. Forces, Korea; chief of staff, Combined Forces Command; and commander, U.S. Air Forces, Korea, with headquarters at Seoul, South Korea.
General Rosencrans was born in 1926. He graduated in 1948 from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., with a bachelor of science degree and commission as a second lieutenant. He earned a master's degree in business administration from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1968, graduated from the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1960; and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J McNair, Washington, D.C., in 1968.
In October 1948 General Rosencrans entered pilot training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and in September 949 graduated from advanced pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. He then was assigned as a jet fighter pilot with the 93rd Fighter Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
During the Korean War he served with the 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in South Korea and Japan. He flew 133 combat missions with a total of 264 hours in the F-80 Shooting Star and is credited with shooting down a MiG-15 in aerial combat over North Korea.
He returned to the United States in April 1951 and was assigned to the 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Westover Air Force Base, Mass., where he served as flight commander, flying safety officer and assistant operations officer. In August 1953 he was assigned to the U.S. Air Force-Royal Air Force exchange program as a flight commander at Royal Air Force Station Chivenor, England. In November 1955 he was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as an operations officer for the 3597th Combat Crew Training Squadron and later became squadron commander.
General Rosencrans returned to the U.S. Military Academy in January 1957 as company commander, department of tactics. In August 1959 he entered the Air Command and Staff College. After graduation in July 1960 he went to Japan where he served as operations officer and later became commander of the 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base. He transferred to Hawaii in September 1963 as an operations staff officer with Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base.
In August 1965 General Rosencrans transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as an operations staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. From January 1966 to August 1967, he was a member of the General Purpose Forces Branch of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Special Study Group. He then entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
General Rosencrans went to Southeast Asia in November 1968 as assistant deputy commander for operations, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phu Cat Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. He flew 132 combat missions and more than 500 combat hours in the F-100 Super Sabre. In May 1969 he transferred to Headquarters Seventh Air Force at Tan Son Nhut Air Base as chief, Current Operations Division and later as chief, Current Plans Division.
He returned to the United States in November 1969 and served as vice commander of the 4531st Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Force Base, Fla. In May 1970 he became commander of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, S.C., the first A-7D Corsair II wing in the U.S. Air Force.
General Rosencrans was assigned to the 1002nd Inspector General Group at Norton Air Force Base, Calif., in July 1971 as deputy director of inspection and in November 1971 became director of inspection. The group was designated as the Air Force Inspection and Safety Center and become a separate operating agency Jan. 1, 1972.
In June 1973 General Rosencrans joined Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where he became deputy chief of staff for plans. He assumed command of Third Air Force with headquarters at Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall, Suffolk, England, in November 1973. In August 1977 he became vice commander, Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and assumed his present duties in March 1979.
General Rosencrans is a command pilot with approximately 4,800 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 16 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation emblem with five oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with four oak leaf clusters and "V" device, Republic of Vietnam Medal of Honor 1st Class and Republic of Vietnam Air Service Medal.
He was promoted to lieutenant general April 1, 1979, with date of rank March 31, 1979.
General Rosencrans' hometown is Towanda, Pa.
(Current as of December 1979)