BRIGADIER GENERAL DAN A. BROOKSHER

Brigadier General Dan A. Brooksher is deputy director for operations, J-3, National Military Command Center, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

General Brooksher was born in Fort Smith, Ark., in 1926, and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in June 1949, with a bachelor of science degree in military engineering. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and transferred to the Air Force in 1950. He attended Squadron Officer School in 1956. In 1967 he received a master of science degree in business administration from The George Washington University and also completed the Industrial College of the Armed Forces course on national security management. He completed the Air War College Seminar program in 1971.

After basic and advanced pilot training, General Brooksher served as a tactical reconnaissance pilot with the 18th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., from June to December 1951. He then was assigned to the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Korea, where he flew 100 combat missions in the RF-80 and F-80 jet aircraft.

General Brooksher returned to the United States in September 1952 and served as a fighter pilot with the 132d and 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons at Dow Air Force Base, Maine, until January 1953, when he was assigned to the 63d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., where he became a flight commander.

In January 1955 General Brooksher was transferred to Headquarters Air Defense Command at Ent Air Force Base, Colo. From May 1956 through August 1957, he was Chief of Weapons Employment, responsible for staff supervision of the aircrew training program and interceptor-weapons employment throughout the command.

In September 1959 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, as an air operations officer, exercising staff supervision of F-102 units and performing F-102 aircrew standardization/evaluation. Beginning in August 1962 General Brooksher served a tour of duty with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. In this assignment he was responsible for staff supervision of aircrew training and training programs.

General Brooksher served a Southeast Asia tour of duty with the Seventh Air Force, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force, Thailand, beginning in March 1967. He was a senior controller assigned to the Seventh/Thirteenth Air Force Tactical Control Center and flew 21 combat missions.

From March 1968 until August 1971, he was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., where he moved as safety staff officer and later became chief of the Survey Branch, U.S. Air Force Directorate of Nuclear Safety.

General Brooksher's next assignment was base commander at Hancock Field, N.Y., and in July 1972 he was transferred to Duluth International Airport, Minn., as vice commander of the 23d Air Division. In May 1973 he assumed duties at Peterson Field, Colo., where he commanded the 4600th Air Base Wing, the host unit for the Ent-Peterson Field-Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

In August 1974 General Brooksher was named commander of the 26th North American Air Defense Command Region at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., with, additional duty as commander of the 26th Air Division (Air Defense Command).

In April 1976 he was named chief of staff, U.S. Taiwan Defense Command, with headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. General Brooksher assumed his present duties in July 1978.

He is a command pilot with 4,000 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general on March 1, 1975, with date of rank Feb. 28, 1975.

(Current as of August 1978)