LIEUTENANT GENERAL THOMAS R. FERGUSON JR.

Lieutenant General Thomas R. Ferguson Jr. is commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

General Ferguson was born in 1935, in Cleveland and graduated from Washington Irving High School, Clarksburg, W.Va. He earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from West Virginia University in 1957 and a master of science degree in metallurgical engineering from Ohio State University in 1968. The general completed Squadron Officer School in 1962, Air Command and Staff College in 1973, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1979.

He was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1957 as a distinguished graduate. After receiving pilot wings at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., General Ferguson was transferred to Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and flew B-52s. His final B-52 missions were flown from Guam in support of Southeast Asia operations.

In August 1968 General Ferguson was assigned to Headquarters 7th Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, where he served in several positions under the director of operations. He returned to the United States in September 1969 and was assigned to Air Force Materials Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as a technical manager in the Systems Support Division.

From June 1973 to June 1976 the general served as program element monitor within the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He then moved to Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md., as chief of the Flight Vehicle Division, Directorate of Science and Technology. He later served as chief, Avionics and Weapons Division. After graduation from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in June 1979, the general returned to Air Force Systems Command headquarters as deputy to the director of science and technology.

In October 1981 he returned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as assistant deputy for development planning at Aeronautical Systems Division. From August 1982 to July 1984 he was director of the AGM-65 Maverick Missile System Program Office under the deputy for tactical systems. The general then was named system program director for the advanced medium range air-to-air missile, Armament Division, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. From August 1988 until February 1990 he was deputy chief of staff for technology and requirements planning, Air Force Systems Command headquarters. In April 1990 he became principal deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. In June 1990 he became commander of the Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He assumed his current command in July 1992.

The general is a command pilot with 4,016 flying hours. His military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and Combat Readiness Medal.

He was promoted to lieutenant general April 1, 1990, with same date of rank.

(Current as of September 1992)