Brigadier General STANLEY H. BEAR

Brigadier General Stanley H. Bear is the command surgeon, Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. As command surgeon, General Bear serves on the staff of the MAC commander and is the medical adviser to the commander on the physical well-being of command personnel. He also is responsible for MAC's worldwide aeromedical evacuation system, medical centers, hospitals and clinics.

General Bear was born in Newville, Pa., in 1921. He holds degrees in biology from Bucknell University and in medicine and surgery from Temple University. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology, having received his specialty training at the University of Illinois Medical Center.

The general was drafted into the U.S. Army as a private in June 1943 and served 34 months as an enlisted man. Upon discharge in March 1946, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.

He was called to active duty in August 1947 and assigned to the Medical Field Service School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a physician. He then completed parachute and glider training at Fort Benning, Ga.

Dr. Bear became a pararescue physician in the 5th Air Rescue Squadron, Westover Field, Mass., in November 1947. He attended the primary course in aviation medicine at Randolph Field, Texas, in March 1949.

In June 1949, he was reassigned as ahief, aviation medicine, and medical air evacuation officer, Westover Field, Mass.

In July 1950, Dr. Bear became a resident physician in otolaryngology at Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington, D.C. Due to the Korean War, his residency was terminated and he was reassigned to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. with temporary duty as flight surgeon with the 20th Fighter-Bomber Group, Manston, England.

Dr. Bear resumed his residency in otolaryngology in December 1950 at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and subsequently was appointed to the faculty as chief resident physician and instructor.

In October 1954 he was assigned to the 3810th U. S. Air Force Hospital, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., as chief, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. He was transferred in February 1959 to the U.S. Air Force Hospital, Wiesbaden, Germany, as the chief, Otolaryngology Service.

Dr. Bear served as surgeon of the Air Force Flight Test Center and as commander, 6510th U.S. Air Force Hospital, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., from September 1961 to July 1964. He was then reassigned as vice commander of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas.

In June 1967, he was named surgeon of Headquarters Seventh Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Vietnam, and later deputy command surgeon, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

In March 1969, General Bear became the assistant to President Nixon's personal physician, with responsibility for assisting in keeping the president, his family and staff in good health.

General Bear was chief of the Medical Division, Directorate of Inspection, Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, Norton Air Force Base, Calif., prior to assuming his present duties with MAC on Aug. 7, 1972.

In addition to paratrooper wings, with 43 parachute jumps, General Bear holds the rating of a chief flight surgeon with more than 3,100 hours in his flight log He flew 82 combat missions totaling 186 hours in Southeast Asia in the RF-4C Phantom, F-1OOF Super Sabre, 0-1 Bird Dog and 0-2 forward air control aircraft, and the A-37 attack jet.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, and the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, 1st class.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general effective March 1, 1972, with date of rank Feb. 28, 1972.

(Current as of Oct. 15, 1972)