Major General Walter C. Schrupp is deputy chief of staff, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii.
General Schrupp was born in 1931, in Canby, Minn., and graduated from Washington High School, Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1948. He received a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in 1954; a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Nebraska in 1963; and a master's degree in business administration from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1966. He completed the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
He attended pilot training at Bartow Air Base, Fla., and Laredo Air Force Base, Texas. After earning his pilot wings he entered navigator-bombardier school at James Connally Air Force Base, Texas, and completed training in April 1956.
From 1956 to 1961, General Schrupp flew B-47s at Lincoln Air Force Base, Neb., as a co-pilot and aircraft commander. During this time he also served as a member of a flight evaluation crew. From the fall of 1961, he served with the Space Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, Los Angeles. In August 1965 he was selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College.
In December 1966 General Schrupp was assigned to the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a flight commander. He logged 122 combat missions in F-40s, 65 of which were over North Vietnam. General Schrupp's aircraft was damaged by hostile fire over North Vietnam on his 122nd combat mission and he was forced to bail out over the Gulf of Tonkin. He was rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer and flown to the hospital at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, to recover from his injuries.
The general was assigned to the Legislative Liaison Directorate, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C., in 1967. He served there until June 1970 when he received orders to attend the National War College.
In July 1971 he was appointed vice commander of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark. He returned to Carswell Air Force Base in 1972 to become vice commander of the 7th Bombardment Wing. He assumed command of the wing in May 1972 and occupied this position until September 1974. In June 1973 General Schrupp departed Carswell for a five-month temporary duty assignment as vice commander of the l7th Air Division (Provisional) at U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, Thailand.
General Schrupp was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in September 1974 and served in the Directorate of Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, as chief of the Strategic Division until February 1975; as deputy director for operational forces until August 1976; and finally as deputy director of operations and readiness.
He served as chief, Air Force Section, Joint United States Military Mission for Aid to Turkey, from July 1977 to May 1979, when he became commander of the 40th Air Division at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich. In June 1980 General Schrupp was named vice commander of 8th Air Force, Strategic Air Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. He assumed his present duties in September 1983.
The general is a command pilot, holds a navigator aeronautical rating land wears the Missile Badge. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, Combat Readiness Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal.
He was promoted to major general Jan. 22, 1981, with date of rank Aug. 1, 1977.
(Current as of March 2021)