BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT F.C. WINGER

Brigadier General Robert F.C. Winger is assistant deputy director for force development and strategic plans, J-5, Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

General Winger was born in 1930, in Kansas City, Mo. After graduation from Rockhurst High School in Kansas City in June 1946, he attended William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo., for two years. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in July 1948, and upon graduation received his commission as a second lieutenant and a degree in engineering. General Winger earned a master of arts degree in Spanish from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt., in June 1958; and graduated from Squadron Officer School in 1956, Air Command and Staff College in 1965, and the National War College in 1971.

After receiving his pilot wings from Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., in August 1953, General Winger was assigned to the 35th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing, Suwon Air Base, Korea. He returned to the United States in December 1954 and served with various Reserve fighter and training units of the Continental Air Command until June 1957, when he entered into graduate studies.

Following receipt of his master's degree in Spanish, General Winger became an assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. In July 1961 he was transferred to Madrid, Spain, where he served as an operations and training staff officer in the Military Assistance and Advisory Group-Spain; and later as an adviser to the 1st Fighter Wing, Spanish Air Force, in Valencia, Spain.

Upon completion of the Air Command and Staff College course in June 1965, General Winger volunteered for an assignment to Southeast Asia. While serving with the 1st Commando Squadron in the Republic of Vietnam from November 1965 to August 1966, General Winger flew 260 combat missions in the A-1. During the succeeding four years, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Directorate of Doctrine, Concepts and Objectives, Washington, D.C. He then entered the National War College at Fort McNair.

In August 1971 General Winger was assigned to Torrejon Air Base, Spain, as director of the Joint Air Control and Coordination Center, a Spanish air force-U.S. Air Force organization. In February 1973 he became commander of the 401st Combat Support Group at Torrejon Air Base, a unit of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

General Winger was transferred to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, in July 1973 as vice commander of the 52d Tactical Fighter Wing, and four months later he assumed command of the wing. He remained in that post until July 1975, when he was named commandant, Air Command and Staff College at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

In August 1976 General Winger was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he is serving as the assistant deputy director for force development and strategic plans.

General Winger holds the aeronautical rating of command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 12 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem and the Combat Readiness Medal.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general on August 1, 1975, with date of rank July 9, 1975.

(Current as of December 1976)