Brig. Gen. Richard L. Ault is deputy director of plans, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S, Air Force. The Directorate of Plans is responsible for Air Staff positions on Joint Chiefs of Staff matters; unilateral and joint war planning; policy guidance; and political-military planning.
General Ault was born in Wichita, Kan., in 1917. He spent his childhood in Long Beach, Calif., where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1934. He attended Long Beach Junior College for one year in 1934-1935, and a second year in 1938-1939 In September 1939 he entered flying training in the U.S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet and completed primary training at Santa Maria, Calif., basic training at Randolph Field, Texas, and advanced training at Kelly Field, Texas He graduated in June 1940 and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps and received his pilot wings.
He was assigned briefly to flight instructor duties at Randolph Field and was transferred in October 1940 to the Contract Primary Flying School at Glendale, Calif. In February 1941, he went to a similar school in King City, Calif., and in May 1942 to Dos Palos, Calif., where he served as commanding officer of the Primary Flying School until 1943. He then was transferred to the staff of Headquarters Western Flying Training Command, Santa Ana, Calif.
In November 1944 General Ault was transferred to Headquarters Training Command, Fort Worth, Texas In July 1945 he completed fighter-gunnery training at Foster Field, Texas, and in September 1945 arrived at Headquarters VII Fighter Command Iwo Jima.
In March 1946 he returned to the United States and was assigned briefly to the staff of Headquarters Air Training Command, Barksdale Field, La. From September 1946, until January 1949, he served on the staff of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group, Nanking, China.
General Ault returned to the United States in January 1949 and was assigned to the Directorate of Training, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. During this assignment he attended University of Maryland night school classes and received a bachelor of science degree in military science in January 1952.
During March 1952 he assisted in the establishment of Headquarters Crew Training Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and served as deputy chief of staff for programming. In August 1953 he assumed command of the F-86D Interceptor Training Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
From January 1956 until January 1959, he wee assigned as assistant chief of the Air Branch, Plans and Operations Division, in Headquarters Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy.
He returned to the United States and again was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in the Directorate of Programming, where he served as a deputy division chief, directorate executive, and division chief. In July 1962 he became commander of the 3615th Pilot Training Wing, Craig Air Force Base, Ala.
From July 1966 to March 1969 he was commander of the 6100th Support Wing with headquarters at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan.
General Ault returned to Washington, D.C., in March 1969 and was the director, Compensation and Career Development, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). From October 1969 to February 1970, he was the deputy director for force development, Directorate of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and assumed duties as deputy director of plans, in February 1970.
His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and Air Force Commendation Medal. He is a command pilot with a total of more than 6,500 flying hours, more than 1,700 of which are in jet aircraft.
He was promoted to the temporary grade of brigadier general effective April 21, 1966, with date of rank April 19, 1966.
(Current as of March 15, 1970)