MAJOR GENERAL BILLIE J. MCGARVEY
Retired
August 01,1978
Died February 24,2019
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Major General Billie J. McGarvey is assistant deputy chief of staff, programs and resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
General McGarvey was born in 1923, in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended Texas Technological University and the University of Colorado, and earned bachelor of science and master of science degrees in civil engineering. He was called to active duty in the U.S. Army Air Corps in February 1943 and graduated from flying training in February 1944 with a commission as a second lieutenant.
He completed a year of combat pilot duty in the Western Pacific area in May 1945 and returned to the United States for a brief assignment as a flying instructor. In March 1946 he was assigned to Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas, where he served as an engineering test pilot until June 1949.
After earning his master's degree through the Air Force Institute of Technology program, General McGarvey was assigned to civil engineering at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. In June 1952 he became the Base Civil Engineer at Prestwick, Scotland. He was assigned in July 1953 to Headquarters Third Air Force, London, England, as Chief of the Engineering Division in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installations. He then returned to the United States in 1956 and attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
In June 1957 General McGarvey was assigned to the Office of the Air Force Regional Civil Engineer, Southwest Region, Dallas, Texas, and in August 1960 he became the civil engineer for the Site Activation Task Force for strategic missile facilities at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.
He was assigned in January 1962 to Headquarters Fifth Air Force in Japan, where he served as chief of the Construction Division and as assistant deputy chief of staff, civil engineering.
In June 1965 he was reassigned to the Directorate of Civil Engineering, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, as chief of the Missile Construction Branch. He later served as the Air Staff project officer for the Turnkey construction of Tuy Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. He then served as chief of the Construction Division from April 1967 to August 1968.
General McGarvey was assigned to Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in August 1968 as the deputy chief of staff for civil engineering.
In June 1971 General McGarvey was assigned as the deputy chief of staff for civil engineering at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces. In June 1972 he returned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force to become the deputy director of civil engineering in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Resources, and became the director of civil engineering in February 1974.
General McGarvey was assigned as the assistant deputy chief of staff, programs and resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, in April 1975.
His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, and Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas.
He was promoted to the grade of major general effective April 2, 1973, with date of rank Aug. 1, 1969.
(Current as of April 15, 1975)