Brigadier General Delbert H. Jacobs is deputy for General Purpose Forces, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
General Jacobs was born in Seattle. He studied engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle and was a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1955. He later attended the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, receiving a master of science degree in aeronautics in 1960 and completing course work for a doctorate in 1961. The general is a 1975 distinguished graduate of the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1955 and completed pilot training in T-33s at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas. In 1956 he became a flight commander and North Atlantic Treaty Organization instructor pilot at Furstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany.
His successive assignments include being an assistant professor of astronautics and ski coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.; chief test pilot for F-101s at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; F-4 fighter weapons school test pilot at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; commander of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam; and deputy chief, New Initiatives Office, and later chief, Fighter Armament Requirements Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff Research and Development, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He served as the F-16 deputy system program director and the F-15 system program director at the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Prior to assuming his current position in July 1981 he was the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs at Air Force Systems Command headquarters, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
General Jacobs won the General Vandenberg Trophy in 1968 for outstanding contribution to aerospace science in the United States; the Air Force Association Citation of Honor the same year for test pilot achievement; the Eisenhower Award from the president of the United States in 1955 for the highest achievement at West Point in military leadership; and in 1955 won the special award given the cadet in his West Point graduating class having the highest achievement in athletics over four years.
He has flown 168 combat missions in F-4s, and has more than 3,400 flying hours in F-101s, F-102s, F-106s, F-15s and other fighter-type aircraft.
His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.
He was promoted to brigadier general July 1, 1979, with date of rank June 9, 1979.
(Current as of October 1981)