BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT E. BROFFT

Brig. Gen. Robert E. Brofft is commander, Pacific Exchange System, Honolulu, Hawaii.

General Brofft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1922, where he graduated from Walnut Hills High School in 1940, and attended the University of Cincinnati. In September 1942 he entered active military service as an aviation cadet and in August 1943 graduated as a rated pilot with a commission as second lieutenant.
During World War II he flew 31 combat missions over Europe as a B-17 aircraft commander with the 748th Bombardment Squadron. From June 1945 to September 1949, he served as an instructor in the Instrument Pilot Instructor School at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

General Brofft joined the Strategic Air Command at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., in September 1949, as an RB-36 pilot and aircraft commander. He attended Air Tactical School at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and returned to Ellsworth to serve as an air operations officer. In April 1953 he went to Loring Air Force Base, Maine, where he served as commander of the 75th Bombardment Squadron and later was appointed deputy commander for maintenance for the 42d Bombardment Wing.

In December 1957 he was transferred to Westover Air Force Base, Mass., where he was commander of the 346th Bombardment Squadron and two years later was appointed deputy commander for maintenance, 99th Bombardment Wing. In October 1960 he was assigned to the 72d Bombardment Wing at Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico, as deputy commander for maintenance and in June 1962 was named deputy commander for operations.

He attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., from August 1963 to July 1964. He then returned to Westover Air Force Base and was assigned to Headquarters Eighth Air Force as deputy cirector of materiel and two years later was named director of materiel. In September 1966 he was assigned as commander of the 68th Bombardment Wing, Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

In May 1967 General Brofft returned to Westover as commander of the 99th Bombardment Wing which was deployed to the Western Pacific area from September 1967 to March 1968 and again from September 1968 to March 1969 to participate in B-52 bombing missions in Southeast Asia. While at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, General Brofft commanded the 4133d Bombardment Wing, a provisional organization comprised of the 99th Wing and segments of each SAC B-52 wing. He led 61 bombing missions over Vietnam and the wing he commanded twice earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

In June 1969, shortly after the 99th Bombardment Wing returned to Westover Air Force Base, General Brofft went to the U.S. Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, as director of personnel resources and distribution and in May 1970 assumed duties as the deputy assistant deputy chief of staff, personnel for military personnel.

General Brofft became commander, Pacific Exchange System, Honolulu, Hawaii in April 1971.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, and Air Force Commendation Medal.

He was promoted to the temporary grade of brigadier general effective Feb. 6, 1970, with date of rank Feb. 2, 1970.

(Current as of Sept. 15, 1971)