BRIGADIER GENERAL MICHAEL P. MCRANEY Brigadier General Michael P. McRaney is director of public affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. General McRaney was born in 1937, in Hattiesburg, Miss., and graduated from S.D. Lee High School, Columbus, Miss., in 1955. He received a bachelor of arts degree in marketing and advertising from Mississippi State University in 1960 and attended graduate school at Boston University. The general is also a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.; Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.; Air War College, also at Maxwell Air Force Base; and the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program in May 1960. In August 1960 he was assigned as an assistant executive officer in the Pentagon. From 1960 to 1970 General McRaney's assignments included public affairs positions at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Seoul, South Korea, as American Forces Korea Network radio officer (Armed Forces Radio Television Service); Maxwell Air Force Base as wing public affairs officer; and the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., as community relations branch chief. After completing the Armed Forces Staff College in January 1971, he became a public affairs plans officer for the U.S. European Command in Vaihingen, Germany. In July 1974 he returned to the United States serving in the Secretary of the Air Force's Office of Information as deputy chief, then chief of the Operational Forces Branch of media relations. Two years later, in March 1976, he became the senior Air Force desk officer, then chief of the Armed Forces News Branch in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. In 1978 he was designated as interim public affairs adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During this time General McRaney served as the Department of Defense spokesman and public affairs representative during the 1978 United States airlift in Zaire, South Africa. After graduation from the National War College in July 1980, the general was assigned as the director of public affairs for Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. General McRaney then returned to the Pentagon serving as assistant director, then deputy director of public affairs in the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs. He assumed his present duties in April 1985. General McRaney's military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. He was promoted to brigadier general Aug. 1, 1986, with same date of rank. (Current as of August 1986)