BRIGADIER GENERAL JACK ROBERTS Brigadier General Jack Roberts was born in Eastman, Georgia, 30 January 1912. Upon graduation from local high school, he enlisted in the United States Army for the purpose of attending a West Point Preparatory School. After serving one year in the Infantry, he was honorably discharged and obtained a Congressional appointment to West Point where he graduated with a BS degree in 1935. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Infantry and detailed to attend the Air Corps Primary School at Randolph Field, San Antonio, in August 1935. Upon completion of this training in June of 1936, he entered the Advance Pilot Training School at Kelly Field and was graduated in October 1936. He received the rating of pilot and was transferred to the Army Air Corps. General Roberts’ first assignment was with the 18th Pursuit Group, which was stationed at Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii. For two years he flew A-12 aircraft and then transferred to the Luke Field, in Hawaii. Upon return to the United States in June 1939, General Roberts, then a first lieutenant, was assigned to the 2d Bomb Group, Langley Field, Va. The 2d Bomb Group was equipped with the original thirteen YB-17 aircraft which were then undergoing trial and testing by the Air Corps. Lt Roberts performed various duties including those of aircraft commander, squadron and wing operations officer. In addition, he completed training and qualified as a bombardier and a navigator. In late October 1942, then Lt Colonel Roberts, was selected to form a B-24 group to be equipped with then highly secret radar detection devices and to move it without delay to England to assist the RAF in the battle against U-Boats in the Bay of Biscay. The 1st Anti-Submarine Squadron was hurriedly formed, equipped, trained and arrived in England on 7 November 1942. It operated independent of the Eighth Air Force, under operation and control of the RAF Coastal Command. In December, the 2d Anti-Submarine Squadron arrived in the UK. The 480th Anti-Submarine Group was formed, and Lt Colonel Roberts was placed in command. Both squadrons enjoyed enviable success working with the RAF, but in March 1943, in accordance with directive from Washington, they moved to French Morocco in North Africa to provide anti-submarine coverage for the large convoys being brought into the Mediterranean in preparation for the invasion of Sicily and North Africa. One at a time, one squadron was moved temporarily to the Tunis area for the purpose of providing close coverage for the convoys landing at Salerno. Under Lt Colonel Roberts’ command the group operated as part of the Northwest African Coastal Air Force, which was commanded by RAF Air Vice Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd. In addition to operating in the Mediterranean, both squadrons continued to conduct operations in their old hunting grounds, the Bay of Biscay, where they enjoyed notable success in the destruction of U-Boats. They were also successful in shooting down numbers of German aircraft. On 13 November 1943, the entire group, including Lt Colonel Roberts, was directed to relinquish their assignment to the U.S. Navy and to return to the United States with all personnel and equipment. The group, for its outstanding accomplishments against enemy U-Boats and aircraft, despite heavy losses, during its one year of existence, was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation, and Lt Colonel Roberts was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Air Medal. Upon returning to the United States, Colonel Roberts was assigned to Headquarters USAF, Washington, D.C., where he was made the Chief of the Bombardment Branch in the Directorate of Requirements. Subsequently, he became the Executive to the Asst Chief of Staff for Operations, Commitments and Requirements, and retained this position when the office was Redesignated Assistant Chief of Staff, A-3. In February 1946, Colonel Roberts was designated to attend the Command Class of the Army War College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, which was then just being resumed after a wartime shutdown. Graduating from this class in August 1946, Colonel Roberts was ordered overseas to Paris, France, where he joined the European Division of the Air Transport Command. He served simultaneously as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Plans. After a few months, the division moved to Germany, and Colonel Roberts became Chief of Staff. Shortly thereafter, it was redesignated as the 1602nd Air Transport Wing, and Colonel Roberts was named Commander. This wing, with headquarters in Wiesbaden, embraced an area that covered the most of Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. It conducted operations from Iceland and the Azores as far east as Dhahran in Saudi Arabia. In January 1949, Colonel Roberts was suddenly reassigned to Headquarters USAF, to become Executive to the Chief of Staff, USAF, General Hoyt Vandenberg. Colonel Roberts served in this position until August 1950 when he was assigned as a student at the National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. Upon graduation in June 1951, Colonel Roberts was reassigned to Headquarters USAF, as a Special Assistant to the Director of Requirements. In March 1952, Colonel Roberts was sent for three months to Spain with Major General A. W. Kissner, who headed the Joint U.S. Military Group, which initiated the negotiations for the U.S. air bases in Spain. Colonel Roberts served both as Executive to General Kissner and as Chief of the Air Mission. In the summer of 1952, Colonel Roberts terminated this temporary assignment and reported to the 7th Air Division, the Strategic Air Command Headquarters, in England. He served for a short while as Chief of Staff and then became Deputy Commander. In September of 1953, Colonel Roberts was returned to the United States for assignment as Chief of Staff, Eighth Air Force, Fort Worth, Texas. General Roberts is rated a Command Pilot and is married to the former Cornelia Henning of Memphis, Tennessee, have one daughter, Elizabeth Scott and one son, John Adams. DECORATIONS Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, Commendation Ribbon, Distinguished Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, Medal for Humane Action, National Defense Service Medal, Order of the British Empire and Italian Wings. PROMOTIONS He was promoted to Second Lieutenant (Regular Army) 12 June 1935; to First Lieutenant (Regular Army) (Permanent) 12 June 1938; to Captain (Temporary) 9 September 1940; to Major (Temporary) 15 November 1941; to Lieutenant Colonel (Temporary) 1 March 1942; to Colonel (Temporary) 15 November 1943; to Captain (Permanent) 12 June 1945; to Lieutenant Colonel (Permanent) 1 July 1948; to Colonel (Permanent) 19 October 1949; and to Brigadier General (Temporary) 30 July 1954 with date of rank from 23 July 1954. As of 1 September 1954