BRIGADIER GENERAL ALBERT J. LENSKI

Brigadier General Albert J. Lenski is deputy commander of the 22nd North American Aerospace Defense Command Region at Canadian Forces Base North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Commanded by a Canadian Forces major general, the 22nd is the largest of the command's eight regions. It encompasses much of eastern and all of northern Canada. General Lenski is the senior U.S. military officer in Canada.

General Lenski was born in 1930, in Chicago where he graduated from Kelvyn Park High School in 1948. He received his bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1952. Upon graduation he also received his Air Force commission through the university's Air Force, Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. General Lenski is a 1957 graduate from Squadron Officer School and the Air Command and Staff College in 1966. Both schools are located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

After receiving his commission General Lenski attended primary pilot training from August 1952 to February 1953 at Hondo Air Force Base, Texas. He then entered basic pilot training at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas, graduating in October 1953. From there he attended advanced flying school at Perrin Air Force Base, Texas, flying F-86D's until graduation in February 1954.

His first tour of duty was flying F-86D's with the 97th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, from March 1954 to October 1958. He served as a flight commander with the 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying F-86D's at Nouasseur Air Base, Morocco, until February 1960. He then became an RF-101 pilot and served as a flight commander with the 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Phalsbourg and Toul-Rosieres air bases, France, from March 1960 to November 1961.

From November 1961 to July 1965, he served as a flight commander and assistant operations officer flying F-106s with the 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at McChord Air Force Base, Wash.

Following Air Command and Staff College, he spent three months training in F-105s at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., prior to joining the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in January 1967. For the next eight months he served as flight commander and assistant operations officer while flying a combat tour in F-105s.

In August 1967 he was assigned as chief, standardization evaluation, at the Air Defense Weapons Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., until 1969. While at Tyndall he completed the F-106 Interceptor Weapons School from January to March 1969. In April 1969 he was appointed the school's commander. He became commander of the 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying F-106s at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., in July 1970.

From July 1971 to July 1972, he served as director, operations and training, 24th North American Air Defense Command Region at Malmstrom. In July 1972 General Lenski was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as deputy and then chief, Aerospace Defense Division, Office of the Director of Operations.

He became deputy commander for operations, 26th North American Air Defense Command Region, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., in July 1974. In February 1976 he was assigned as deputy director of inspection, Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, Norton Air Force Base, Calif.

In July 1977 the general was named vice commander of the Alaskan Air Command, with additional duty of deputy commander, Alaskan North American Air Defense Command Region, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. He assumed his present duties in June 1980.

General Linski is a command pilot with more than 4,700 hours flying time in T-6s, T-28s, T-33s F-86D's and L's, RF-101s, F-105s and F-106s. He logged 100 combat missions over North Vietnam as a strike pilot in F-105s. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Air Force Commendation medal.

He was promoted to brigadier general March 1, 1980, with date of rank Feb. 24, 1980.

(Current as of June 1981)