LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES R. HAMM Lieutenant General Charles R. Hamm is superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. General Hamm was born in 1933, in Little Rock, Ark., and graduated from Kemper Military School, Booneville, Mo., in 1951. He earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy in 1956 and a master's degree in political science from Auburn University in 1969. The general completed Air Command and Staff College in 1969, and the National War College in 1972. After completing pilot training at Malden Air Base, Mo., and Laredo Air Force Base, Texas, in August 1957, General Hamm attended F-86 gunnery school at Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. In February 1958 he transferred to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for gunnery training in F-100s. In June 1958 General Hamm was assigned to Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France, where he flew F-100s with the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing. In January 1960 he transferred to Hahn Air Base, West Germany, and became a wing standardization-evaluation pilot. He returned to the United States in June 1961 for an assignment with the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., as squadron weapons officer. In December 1962 he transferred to the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky., as a forward air controller and received his senior parachutist rating. From May 1964 until January 1966 General Hamm was a member of the Air Force air demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds, at Nellis Air Force Base, flying the left wing position. He was assigned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in March 1966 as aide to the commander, 7th Air Force. From July to November 1966 the general was a flight commander with the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, and flew 103 combat missions. The general returned to Nellis Air Force Base in January 1967 as an instructor and flight commander of the air-to-air flight at the Fighter Weapons School. In August 1968 he entered Air Command and Staff College and graduated in June 1969. General Hamm then was assigned to the Air Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as a staff officer for the assistant chief of staff for studies and analysis. In June 1970 he became assistant executive to the Air Force chief of staff. After graduating from the National War College in June 1972, General Hamm served as deputy commander for operations, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. In June 1973 he transferred to Headquarters 5th Air Force, Fuchu Air Station, Japan, as director of operations, and a year later became chief of staff. In March 1975 he assumed command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (Wolf Pack), Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and flew F-4s. Returning to the United States in March 1976 for a second tour of duty with the Air Staff, General Hamm was appointed deputy director for readiness development in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations. General Hamm was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va., in May 1978 as director of fighter and reconnaissance operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. He transferred to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in July 1979 as commander of the F-15-equipped 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing and returned to Washington, D.C., in May 1980 to begin Russian language training in preparation for attache duty. The general served as defense attache to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from August 1981 until August 1983. He then returned to Air Force headquarters as deputy director of plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, and in September 1984 became director of operations. The general was assigned as vice commander, Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in July 1985. He assumed his present position in June 1987. The general is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and Combat Readiness Medal. He was promoted to lieutenant general Aug. 1, 1987, with same date of rank. (Current as of May 1990)