BRIGADIER GENERAL EUGENE W. GAUCH JR.

Brigadier General Eugene W. Gauch Jr., is director of automated mobility requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, with duty station at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

General Gauch was born in 1922, in Newark, N.J. He graduated from Jefferson High School in Elizabeth, N.J., in 1941, attended Syracuse University, and is a graduate of the National War College, 1969.

In March 1943 he entered active military service with the Army Air Corps and as an aviation cadet attended pilot training and graduated as a flight officer from Pampa Army Air Force Base, Texas, in November 1944. After bomber crew training assignments at Liberal, Kan.; Tonapah, Nev.; and Walla Walla, Wash., he went to Okinawa and served with the 346th and 22d Bombardment Groups as a B-29 pilot. In June 1948 General Gauch returned to the United States and was assigned to the Air Training Command as an instructor for aviation cadets in single- and twin-engine aircraft at Randolph and Perrin Air Force bases, Texas, and Barksdale Air Force Base, La. In July 1949 he was assigned to the 509th Bombardment Group of the Strategic Air Command, Walker Air Force Base, N.M.

He next was assigned to the Military Airlift Command in Japan; however, with the onset of the Korean War, he was transferred to the 19th Bombardment Group at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, and flew B-29 combat missions over Korea for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

In February 1951 he was assigned as a pilot to the 306th Bombardment Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., the first wing in the Air Force to receive the B-47 jet bomber. He was assigned to the 376th Bombardment Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., from October 1953 to March 1955.

From April 1955 to November 1959, General Gauch held key staff positions at Strategic Air Command headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., where he was a training and standardization officer. He next was an operations staff officer for the jet bomber and tanker equipped 72d Bombardment Wing at Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico. In June 1963 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., and was appointed assistant executive secretary to the Air Staff Board, Office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

General Gauch served as assistant chief of staff and executive to the commander, Seventh Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam, from April 1967 to April 1968. He earned two more oak leaf clusters to his Air Medal for flying combat support missions over hostile territory. From May 1968 to June 1969, he was at the National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., as a student and a member of the faculty.

General Gauch was transferred to Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va., as executive to the commander in June 1969, and assigned the position of chief of staff in December 1970. In March 1972 General Gauch became commander of the 834th Air Division, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. In August 1974 General Gauch assumed duties as director of automated mobility requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, with duty station at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon. He is a command pilot, qualified in both single- and multi-engine jet aircraft, with 6,000 flying hours.

General Gauch was promoted to the grade of brigadier general effective Feb. 1, 1972, with date of rank Jan. 14, 1972.

(Current as of Nov. 15, 1974)