BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES B. JIGGETTS

Brigadier General Charles B. Jiggetts is vice commander of the Air Force Communications Command with headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. As a major command, Air Force Communications Command engineers, installs, operates, and maintains communications-electronics-meteorological equipment and facilities for the Air Force and selected government and civilian agencies. This includes long-haul intercontinental and local base communications, air traffic control and navigational aid facilities, and weather equipment. The command is also responsible for Air Force standardized data automation processing activities. To meet these tasks, the command employs 49,000 people in more than 500 units at approximately 425 locations.

General Jiggetts was born in Henderson, N.C. He graduated from high school at Henderson Institute in 1943, and received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1950. General Jiggetts graduated from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1957 and completed Air Command and Staff College in 1963. He completed the Air War College in 1970 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces associate program in 1972.

In 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces and was honorably discharged in May 1946. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in August 1950 through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. His initial assignment was as a group adjutant and supply officer with the Basic Military Training Center at Sampson Air Force Base, N.Y. He attended flying school at James Connally Air Force Base, Texas, in 1952 and later become an aircraft observer and radar intercept officer. He served in that capacity at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.; and Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

In July 1957 General Jiggetts joined the 98th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del., as flight and later squadron radar officer. He attended the Communications Officer Course at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., in 1959. Upon completion of the course in 1960, he was assigned to the 27th Communications Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as squadron operations officer. In June 1963 he returned to Keesler Air Force Base to attend the Communications-Electronics Staff Officer Course.

From March 1964 to May 1966, General Jiggetts was a maintenance officer, chief of maintenance and wing communications-electronics officer with the 92nd Strategic Aerospace Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The wing had operational responsibility for Fairchild-based Atlas E intercontinental ballistic missiles, B-52s and KC-135s.

Transferring to Headquarters 7th Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in May 1966 the general served as a communications-electronics requirements officer. General Jiggetts returned to the United States in May 1967 as a joint communications staff officer with the U.S. Strike Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

In August 1969 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as the technical assistant to the director for telecommunications policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics). He next served at Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as chief of the Program Management Division for Communications-Electronics.

From September 1971 to July 1974, General Jiggetts served as military assistant to the director of the Office of Telecommunications Policy, Executive Office of the President of the United States, Washington, D.C. He then became vice commander of the Air Force Communications Command's Northern Communications Area at Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y. He served as commander of the Northern Communications Area from July 1976 to June 1979.

The general transferred to Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as director of communications and data processing (later reorganized as Directorate of Command, Control and Communications System), J-6. In February 1981 he was assigned to Scott Air Force Base as Air Force Communications Command's deputy commander for combat communications and reserve force matters. He assumed his present duties in July 1981.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal. He also wears the air traffic controller's badge.

He was promoted to brigadier general April 1, 1977, with date of rank March 29, 1977.

The general's hometown is Henderson, N.C.

(Current as of November 1981)