BRIGADIER GENERAL GUY HURST JR.

Brigadier General Guy Hurst Jr., is inspector general for Aerospace Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, Colo.

General Hurst was born in Greenville, Texas, in 1921. He entered Arkansas Southern College in September 1940. He enlisted in October 1942 in the aviation cadet program of the U.S. Army Air Corps and postponed his studies when ordered to active duty in April 1943. He completed primary and basic flight training and graduated from advanced flight training at La Junta, Colo., in August 1944, with his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant. He next attended transition and combat crew training in B-26 and A-26 aircraft.

In June 1946 as an A-26 pilot, General Hurst was transferred to the Pacific area where he served with the 38th Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force as flight commander, assistant operations officer, and maintenance officer.

He returned to the United States in July 1949, attended pilot instructor school and became a flight instructor at Reese Air Force Base, Texas. During that period he attended Air Tactical School at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. In January 1952 he entered jet transition training and later became an instructor in the Air Force instrument school at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

His next assignment was in January 1953 as an exchange officer with the U.S. Navy at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas. During this tour of duty, General Hurst was instrumental in organizing the Navy All-Weather Flight School and wrote, published and taught the entire curriculum, both flight and academic, to the initial cadre of pilots selected to be instructors in the school.

In March 1954 General Hurst returned to Moody Air Force Base, Ga., as a member of the Crew Training Standardization Board. In January 1955 he was assigned to the 29th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Great Falls, Mont., and in August 1955 became operations officer for the squadron. In September 1957 he entered Sacramento State College, Calif., under the Air Force Institute of Technology program, and received a bachelor of arts degree in 1959.

In June 1959 General Hurst was assigned to the 449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, as flight commander. He was assigned in August 1960 as chief of the Fighter Branch of the Tactical Evaluation Team for the 29th Air Division at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. In this capacity he flew F-89 and F-101 aircraft with an air defense fighter squadron. He was transferred in July 1961 with the reorganized 29th Air Division at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Mo., as fighter interceptor officer for the deputy for operations and in May 1962 became director of tactical evaluation. In January 1963 he entered the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va., and after graduation in July 1963 became commander of the 2d Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Suffolk County Air Force Base, N.Y.

In July 1964 General Hurst was transferred to McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., as commander of the 539th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. He became director of operations for New York Air Defense Sector (redesignated 21st Air Division) also with headquarters at McGuire Air Force Base, in January 1966.

During the Vietnam War in March 1967, General Hurst went to Southeast Asia as commander of the Tiger Hound/Tally Ho Task Force, at Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam. He became commander of the Seventh Air Force Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in September 1967, and later also served as commander of the Seventh Air Force Command and Control Squadron at Udorn. During his Southeast Asia tour of duty he flew 38 combat missions with a total of 239 flying hours.

He returned to the United States in May 1968 and was assigned as deputy commander of operations and training, Air Defense Weapons Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. In August 1969 he became vice commander of the 32d Air Division, Gunter Air Force Base, Ala.

In December 1969 he was transferred to Duluth International Airport, Duluth, Minn., as commander, 343d Fighter Group, and in August 1970 assumed command of the 23d Air Division (ADC) with additional duty as deputy commander of the 23d North American Air Defense/Continental Air Defense Region with headquarters at Duluth.

General Hurst was appointed inspector general for Aerospace Defense Command with headquarters at Ent Air Force Base, Colo., in March 1972.

He is a command pilot with flying experience in many jet aircraft including the T-33, F-94, F-9F, F-31D, F-2H, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-4, and is currently a combat-ready pilot in the F-106 Delta Dart aircraft. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon, and Republic of Vietnam Air Service Medal.

General Hurst's hometown is Greenville, Texas.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general effective Aug. 1, 1970, with date of rank July 6, 1970.

(Current as of Nov. 1, 1972)