Brigadier General Russell Allen Berg is the chief, Requirements and Development Division, J-5, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C.
General Berg was born in Chicago, Ill., in 1917. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1935, and from Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, in 1940, with a bachelor of arts degree. In September 1940 he entered Army Air Corps flight training and upon completion was commissioned as a second lieutenant and rated as pilot in April 1941.
During World War II, his principal duties were tactical reconnaissance pilot, flight commander, operations officer and squadron and group commander. For a period of five months, he flew as a pilot and flight commander with the Royal Air Force 610th Fighter Squadron And completed 35 combat missions in Spitfire aircraft. In addition, he flew 42 combat missions in Mustangs, Lightnings and A-20 aircraft.
He returned to the United States in 1945 for a series of assignments as tactical reconnaissance group commander, senior air instructor with the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and duty with Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
In 1952 during the Korean War, General Berg went to the Far East where he commanded the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. Me flew 52 combat missions in jet reconnaissance aircraft and returned to the United States in August 1953 for duty in Headquarters U.S. Air Force, where he served as chief of the Reconnaissance Division in the Directorate of Operations.
General Berg attended the National War College at Ft McNair Washington, D.C., in 1956-1957, and then was assigned as chief of the Reconnaissance Division, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, NATO.
He returned to the United States and in August 1960 was assigned as the chief of staff of the Ballistic Missile Division, later as the vice commander of the Satellite System Division; and in 1962 he was assigned as the deputy director of special projects in Los Angeles, Calif.
In 1965 General Berg was selected to be the first deputy director of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program under General Bernard A. Schriever, program director. He served in this position until February 1967, when he was reassigned as the director of the Office of Space Systems, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. In June 1969 he was assigned as chief, Requirements and Development Division, J-5, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Metal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon. In addition he has received the Distinguished Flying Cross with bar from Great Britain, French Croix de Guerre and palm, Belgium Croix de Guerre with palm and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
(Current as of July 15, 1969)