Julian H. Bowman was born in Bluefield, W.Va., in 1916. He spent his early youth at various Army posts, including Camp Lee, Va.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Sill, Okla.

In 1935 General Bowman enlisted in the 19th Pursuit Squadron, U.S. Army Air Corps at Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii. He subsequently served at Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii, and returned to the United States in the summer of 1937. He was stationed at Fort McClellan, Ala.; Washington, D.C.; and Fort Douglas, Utah, returning to Hawaii in 1939. During this tour he was stationed at Hickam Field; Fort Shafter; Fort Armstrong; and in Honolulu.

General Bowman was called to active duty as a Reserve officer in January 1941 and stationed at Ellington Field, Texas and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he served as assistant finance officer, U.S. Army Finance Office, San Antonio, Texas.

He was selected as a member of the "Stilwell Mission" and went to the China-Burma India Theater of Operations in January 1942. Here he served as assistant chief of staff, G-1, and subsequently as assistant chief of staff, G-3, and assistant chief of staff for planning. Upon his return to the Zone of Interior in 1944 he served in G-1 of the War Department General Staff until the summer of 1947 when he left Washington to attend the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va. Upon graduation he again returned to Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of the Budget and Legislative Division in the Directorate of Personnel Planning, Headquaraters U.S. Air Force. In 1950 he was appointed deputy director of personnel planning, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, where he served until 1952. In 1952 he went to England to become the assistant chief of staff, personnel, Third Air Force. Returning in 1953 he became director of manpower organization for the Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

After graduating from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., General Bowman moved to Headquarters, Air Materiel Command, in July 1957 to become deputy chief of staff. In 1958 he graduated from the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. In October 1959 he was appointed chief of staff of the Air Materiel Command where he served until June 14, 1961. On June 15, 1961 General Bowman was appointed assistant comptroller of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. On Sept. 10, 1962 General Bowman was appointed deputy assistant secretary of defense, military personnel policy, Washington, D.C.

(Current as of May 1963)