MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD A. YUDKIN Maj. Gen. Richard A. Yudkin is director of doctrine, concepts and objectives, Deputy Chief of Staff/Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. General Richard A. Yudkin was born in Derby, Conn., in 1919. Upon graduation from college, General Yudkin was commissioned as a Reserve officer in the Infantry. His acceptance of a scholarship for graduate study was deferred to permit him to enter upon active duty with the U.S. Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant in August 1940. He was assigned originally to the Ninth Bomb Group at Mitchel Field, N.Y., and accompanied that unit to Panama when it was relocated there in late 1940. General Yudkin has served in various commands in the U.S. and overseas. His assignments in the U.S. have included tours within the Air University, the Continental Air Command and the Air Defense Command as well as Headquarters U.S. Air Force. General Yudkin served almost five years as a plans officer on the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe staff, starting his service there during the early establishment of the headquarters under General Eisenhower's command. In 1960, General Yudkin was assigned to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces where he served as assistant chief of staff, plans. In 1963 he was reassigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force as deputy director of plans for policy and in 1965 he was moved to his present assignment. General Yudkin is currently responsible for establishing the longer range objectives of the Air Force and for defining concepts and developing doctrine relevant to achievement of those objectives. His office maintains close relationship with research and development activities and it sponsors specific programs designed to encourage communication and inter-action with appropriate political, academic and industrial communities. As additional duties, General Yudkin has served for more than three years as U.S. Air Force member -- and for portions of that period as chairman -- of the U.S. delegations to the Inter-American Defense Board, the Joint Brazil-U.S. Defense Commission and the Joint Mexico-U.S. Defense Commission. In 1965, General Yudkin was elected to membership in the Council on Foreign Relations of New York City. A graduate of the Army's Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., General Yudkin also graduated from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. General Yudkin has been awarded the Legion of Merit and the Army Commendation Ribbon with oak leaf cluster. He was decorated by France with la Medaille de 1'Aeronautique. General Yudkin was promoted to the grade of brigadier general (temporary) in June 1963, to brigadier general (permanent) in February 1966, and to major general (temporary) in July 1967.