LIEUTENANT GENERAL STEWART E. CRANSTON Lieutenant General Stewart E. Cranston is vice commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The command conducts research, development, test and evaluation, and provides the acquisition management and logistic support necessary for Air Force weapons systems to operate in peace and war. The general entered the Air Force through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1966. He has commanded a test squadron, an inspection center, a test wing and a test center. A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, the general is a command pilot with 3,500-plus hours in more than 30 different aircraft. He flew 300 combat missions, accumulating 514 combat flying hours in Southeast Asia.EDUCATION1966 Bachelor of arts degree in mathematics, University of Southern California 1979 Master's degree in business administration, Auburn University, Ala. 1979 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1986 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 1989 Program for Executives, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.ASSIGNMENTS1. September 1966 - September 1967, student, distinguished graduate, undergraduate pilot training, Laredo Air Force Base, Texas 2. October 1967 - May 1968, student, F-100 combat crew training, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. 3. May 1968 - May 1969, F-100 fighter pilot, 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam 4. June 1969 - September 1972, F-106 interceptor pilot and flying safety officer, 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, N.D. 5. September 1972 - November 1973, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development, Air Staff Training (ASTRA) Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 6. November 1973 - December 1974, student, distinguished graduate, Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 7. January 1975 - August 1978, engineering flight test pilot, 475th Test Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. 8. August 1978 - June 1979, student, distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 9. July 1979 - June 1982, tactical fighter requirements division, directorate of operational requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 10. June 1982 - July 1984, commander, 3247th Test Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 11. July 1984 - July 1985, director of projects, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), Joint System Program Office, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 12. July 1985 - June 1986, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 13. June 1986 - July 1987, commander, Air Force Systems Command Inspection Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 14. July 1987 - June 1988, commander, 3246th Test Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 15. July 1988 - June 1989, assistant deputy chief of staff for systems, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md. 16. June 1989 - April 1990, director of special programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 17. April 1990 - July 1992, vice commander, Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 18. July 1992- May 1993, deputy chief of staff, test and operations, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 19. May 1993 - December 1997, commander, Air Force Development Test Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. 20. December 1997 - present, vice commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OhioFLIGHT INFORMATIONRating: Command pilotFlight hours: More than 3,500, including 514 combat hoursAircraft flown: More than 30, including the F-100, F-106, F-4 and F-16MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSDistinguished Service MedalLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying CrossMeritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clustersAir Medal with 15 oak leaf clustersAir Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusterPresidential Unit CitationJoint Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clustersAir Force Organizational Excellence AwardCombat Readiness MedalNational Defense Service Medal with service starVietnam Service Medal with four service starsRepublic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with PalmOTHER ACHIEVEMENTS1976 Air Force Association Citation of Honor for advanced gunsight development1997 Florida Air Force Association Jerry Waterman Award1997 Secretary of the Air Force Unit Quality AwardEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant Jun 9, 1966First Lieutenant Mar 2, 1968Captain Sep 2, 1969Major Jun 1, 1976Lieutenant Colonel Sep 1, 1980Colonel Sep 1, 1984Brigadier General Dec 1, 1990Major General Sep 28, 1994Lieutenant General Dec 2, 1997 (Current as of September 1998)