BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES L. HIGHAM Retired effective Jan. 1, 1996 Brigadier General James L. Higham is vice commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. The command is the air component of U.S. Special Operations Command, providing Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified commands. AFSOC has approximately 8,500 people, assigned to three active duty flying units which fly more than 100 fixed and rotary wing aircraft at locations worldwide. The general is a 1966 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has commanded two training wings and an air base wing. He is a command pilot with more than 4,100 flying hours in various aircraft, and more than 200 combat missions in C-130 aircraft in Vietnam.EDUCATION1966 Bachelor of science degree in engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1970 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1974 Master's degree in mathematics, Florida State University, Fla. 1976 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1987 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.ASSIGNMENTS1. June 1966 - July 1967, student, pilot training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. 2. August 1967 - October 1967, T-37student, pilot instructor training, Perrin Air Force Base, Texas 3. November 1967 - March 1969, T-41 instructor pilot, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. 4. April 1969 - February 1971, T-37 instructor pilot, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. 5. March 1971 - May 1971, student, C-130 upgrade training, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. 6. May 1971 - August 1972, C-130E aircraft commander and instructor pilot, Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, and Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam 7. September 1972 - March 1974, student, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla. 8. April 1974 - May 1978, mathematics instructor; associate air officer commanding and T-37 instructor pilot, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 9. June 1978 - August 1978, student, T-38 pilot instructor training, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 10. August 1978 - March 1981, T-38 instructor pilot and flight commander; later 25th Flying Training Squadron's operations officer; later 71st Flying Training Wing chief of standardization evaluation, Vance Air Force Base, Okla. 11. March 1981 - June 1982, commander, 557th Flying Training Squadron, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 12. August 1982 - May 1984, deputy chief, standardization and evaluation directorate, deputy chief of staff for operations; later, chief of operations, education and training division, inspector general, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 13. June 1984 - July 1986, deputy chief, resource and flying hour division, directorate of programs and evaluation, deputy chief of staff, programs and resources; later, chief of Continental U.S. Bases and Units Division; later, chief of programs division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 14. August 1986 - June 1987, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 15. July 1987 - January 1989, commander, 64th Air Base Group, Reese Air Force Base, Texas 16. January 1989 - September 1991, commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. 17. October 1991 - September 1993, commander, 542nd Crew Training Wing, then, commander, 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.FLIGHT INFORMATIONRating: Command pilotFlying hours: More than 4,100Aircraft flown: T-37, T-41, T-38, C-130E, HC-130, MC-130 and MH-53JMAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying CrossMeritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clustersAir Medal with two oak leaf clustersAir Force Commendation MedalAir Force Achievement MedalRepublic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm>br>Philippine Presidential Unit CitationOTHER ACHIEVEMENTS1990 Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa), Mary Holmes College, Miss.EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant Jun 8, 1966First Lieutenant Dec 8, 1967Captain Jun 8, 1969Major Dec 1, 1977Lieutenant Colonel Oct 1, 1980Colonel Nov 1, 1984Brigadier General Oct 1, 1991 (Current as of February 1994)