MAJOR GENERAL JAY T. EDWARDS

Major General Jay T. Edwards is commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center with headquarters at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

General Edwards was born in 1931, in Clarksville, Tenn. He graduated from Clarksville High School in 1949 and attended Marion (Ala.) Military Institute. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1954 with a bachelor of science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. General Edwards has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University and a master's degree in management from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

He completed pilot training in August 1955 and was assigned as an F-86D pilot with the 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Westover Air Force Base, Mass. General Edwards transferred with the squadron in 1958 to Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco, where he was a flight commander until squadron deactivation in April 1960.

Upon his return to the United States in 1960, he attended graduate school at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University. Following graduation in 1962, he was assigned to the Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tullahoma, Tenn., as a research engineer with Air Force Systems Command.

The general graduated from Air Command and Staff College in August 1965 and was assigned to the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as chief of the Aeromechanics Branch with responsibility for basic aircraft research.

From January to May 1967, he attended the F-100 day-fighter course at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. He then was assigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, where he served as operations officer for the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron and completed 252 combat missions.

General Edwards returned to the United States in May 1968, and joined Air Force Systems Command as chief of test and deployment for the A-7D Attack Aircraft Systems Program Office in the Joint Air Force-Navy A-7 Project Office within the Naval Air Systems Command, Washington, D.C.

In August 1970 General Edwards entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. While there he obtained his master's degree in management from The George Washington University. After graduation in August 1971, he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and served as a military staff assistant to the assistant director of land warfare in the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering. In August 1973 he become director of materiel management at Warner Robins Air Materiel Area, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

The general was assigned to Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in August 1975 and served as assistant deputy chief of staff for materiel management until December 1975, as deputy chief of staff for materiel management until June 1976 and as assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics operations until July 1977. He then became assistant to the commander for international logistics.

In July 1978 General Edwards become deputy chief of staff, logistics, at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He managed logistics planning, munitions, supply, contracting, transportation and maintenance support for the command. He assumed his present duties in March 1980.

General Edwards is a command pilot. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

He was promoted to major general July 1, 1979, with date of rank Sept. 1, 1975.

(Current as of August 1981)