BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT S. ISRAEL JR. Robert Scott Israel Jr. was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1907. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1928 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. After graduating from the Air Force Flying School in 1929, General Israel served as commanding officer of the First Pursuit Group and Los Angeles Air Defense Wing in Calfornia. Then, as commanding officer of the Third Air Defense Wing at Mitchel Field, N.Y., he was transferred overseas to North Africa in February 1943. The next two years General Israel commanded the 62nd Fighter Wing in Sicily and Italy, where he participated in the battle campaigns of Tunisia, Sicily, the Po Valley, Naples-Foggia, Rome Arno, the North Appennines and Sicilian amphibious operations. Completing the Command and General Staff' School in 1946, the general was then assigned duty with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. For a short period in 1951 General Israel served with the Fifth Air Force in Korea, participating in the Communist Chinese Spring Offensive. After that he was successively the vice commander of the 314th Air Division, commanding general of the 41st Air Division and vice commander of the Japan Air Defense Force within the Far East Air Forces, Japan. Joining the Air Defense Command on May 1, 1953, General Israel became commander of the 32nd Air Division (Defense) at Syracuse Air Force Station, Syracuse, N.Y., with additional duty on Jan. 15, 1957 as commander of the 32nd Continental Air Defense Division, also at Syracuse. His decorations include the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Order of the Southern Cross from Brazil, British Royal Warrant of Appointment and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. He is a command pilot. (Up to date as of January 1957)