MAJOR GENERAL JAMES B. CURRIE Major General James B. Currie is the director of programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. General Currie was born in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1925, and graduated from West Aurora High School, Aurora, Ill., in 1943. He received a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Michigan in 1958, and graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1970. He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps, in November 1943, and received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in September 1945 through the aviation cadet program. General Currie served as a pilot until February 1946 when he became an inactive Reserve officer and attended the University of Wisconsin. In August 1948 General Currie was recalled to active duty and went to Japan where he served with the 3d Bombardment Wing and during the Korean War flew B-26 aircraft. In November 1951 he was assigned to Headquarters Air Research and Development Command, Baltimore, Md., as flying safety officer in the Directorate of Operations. General Currie was squadron operations officer for the 6572d Test Squadron (Chemical) at Edgewood Arsenal, Md., from June 1955 to April 1956, when he became squadron commander. In February 1957 General Currie entered the University of Michigan under the Air Force Institute of Technology program and graduated in June 1958. After graduation he was transferred to Orly Field, Paris, France, but soon moved to Evreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy, where he served in various flying assignments with the 7317th Operations Squadron; as operations and training officer of the 317th Air Base Group; and in April 1961, he became chief, Transport Control Center, 322d Air Division. During this period, he saw duty as a C-130 pilot in support of the United Nations operations in the Belgian Congo. In August 1962 General Currie was assigned to Headquarters Nineteenth Air Force, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., as operations officer in the office of the Deputy for Plans. During the next two years, he participated in numerous joint and unified exercises and contingencies: the Cuban missile crisis, a multination exercise in India, a Central Treaty Organization exercise in Iran, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise in Norway, a NATO exercise in Greece and Turkey, and others in the United States and Puerto Rico. General Currie was transferred to the 311th Air Commando Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in December 1964, as operations officer and he flew C-123 aircraft. In January 1966 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Lindsey Air Station, Germany, as a staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. From August 1969 until June 1970, General Currie attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. After completion, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Resources, and served as Deputy Director of Programs from January 1973 until he became the Director in May 1977. General Currie has flown 468 combat missions. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Airman's Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 12 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters. General Currie was promoted to the grade of major general on March 1, 1977, with date of rank June 29, 1974. (Current as of June 1977)