Arthur Lichte
Encyclopedia
Arthur James Lichte was a four-star general
in the United States Air Force
. His last military assignment was as the commander of Air Mobility Command
based in Scott Air Force Base, Illinois from September 2007 to November 20, 2009. Air Mobility Command's mission is to provide rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America's armed forces. The command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. The men and women of AMC - active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilians - provide airlift, aerial refueling, special air mission and aeromedical evacuation for all of America's armed forces. He effectively retired from the Air Force on January 1, 2010 with over 38 years of military service.
General Lichte hails from The Bronx, New York, where he graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School
and entered the Air Force in 1971 as a distinguished graduate of Manhattan College
's ROTC program. During his Air Force career, General Lichte has held command positions at squadron, group and wing levels. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in various aircraft, including the C-17
, C-20, C-21, C-32, C-37
, C-130, EC/RC-121, KC-10, KC-135, UH-1N and VC-137. In addition to his command experience, General Lichte has held headquarters-level assignments at Strategic Air Command
, Air Mobility Command
, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Transportation Command.
Prior to assuming his current assignment, General Lichte served as Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Force Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for Air Staff organization and administration, served as Deputy Chairman of the Air Force Council, and was the Air Force accreditation official for the Corps of Air Attachés.
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. His last military assignment was as the commander of Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
based in Scott Air Force Base, Illinois from September 2007 to November 20, 2009. Air Mobility Command's mission is to provide rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America's armed forces. The command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. The men and women of AMC - active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilians - provide airlift, aerial refueling, special air mission and aeromedical evacuation for all of America's armed forces. He effectively retired from the Air Force on January 1, 2010 with over 38 years of military service.
General Lichte hails from The Bronx, New York, where he graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School
Cardinal Spellman High School (New York City)
Cardinal Spellman High School is a Catholic diocesan high school located in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is named after Cardinal Francis Spellman, the sixth archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York....
and entered the Air Force in 1971 as a distinguished graduate of Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
's ROTC program. During his Air Force career, General Lichte has held command positions at squadron, group and wing levels. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in various aircraft, including the C-17
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
, C-20, C-21, C-32, C-37
Gulfstream G500/G550
The Gulfstream G500 and G550 are business jet aircraft produced by General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit, located in Savannah, Georgia, USA. They are variants of the Gulfstream V. There are nine G500s, and 198 G550s in active service as of ....
, C-130, EC/RC-121, KC-10, KC-135, UH-1N and VC-137. In addition to his command experience, General Lichte has held headquarters-level assignments at Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Transportation Command.
Prior to assuming his current assignment, General Lichte served as Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Force Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for Air Staff organization and administration, served as Deputy Chairman of the Air Force Council, and was the Air Force accreditation official for the Corps of Air Attachés.
Education
- 1971 Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, Manhattan CollegeManhattan CollegeManhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New York - 1978 Master's degree in systems management, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
- 1978 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
- 1989 National War CollegeNational War CollegeThe National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. - 1994 Program for Senior Officials in National Security, John F. Kennedy School of GovernmentJohn F. Kennedy School of GovernmentThe John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts - 2002 Revolutions in Business Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California
Assignments
- October 1971 - October 1972, student, undergraduate pilot training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
- October 1972 - May 1975, EC-121 pilot, 552nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, McClellan AFB, California
- May 1975 - July 1981, co-pilot, aircraft commander, flight commander, standardization and evaluation aircraft commander, later, KC-135 training flight instructor pilot, 380th Air Refueling Squadron, Plattsburgh AFB, New York
- July 1981 - July 1985, Assistant Chief, Tanker Resource Management Team; Chief, Tanker Career Management Section; Chief, Operations-Maintenance Squadron Commander Management Branch; Chief, Special Assignments Activity Branch; later, Chief, Selective Assignments Activity Branch, Headquarters SAC, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
- July 1985 - August 1988, KC-10A flight commander, later, operations officer, later, Commander, 9th Air Refueling Squadron9th Air Refueling SquadronThe 9th Air Refueling Squadron was initially activated in 1951, although its history can be traced back to the 9th Photographic Squadron of World War II...
, March AFB, California - August 1988 - June 1989, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
- June 1989 - January 1990, Deputy Chief, Strategic Forces Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- January 1990 - June 1991, executive officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- June 1991 - April 1992, Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 2nd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
- April 1992 - July 1993, Commander, 458th Operations Group, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
- July 1993 - July 1995, executive officer to the Commander, USTRANSCOM, and to the Commander, AMC, Scott AFB, Illinois
- August 1995 - November 1996, Commander, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Washington
- November 1996 - January 1999, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews AFB, Maryland
- January 1999 - April 2000, Director of Global Reach Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- April 2000 - December 2002, Director of Plans and Programs, Headquarters AMC, Scott AFB, Ill.
- December 2002 - June 2005, Vice Commander, USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
- July 2005 - August 2007, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- September 2007 - November 2009, Commander, Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, Scott AFB, Ill.
Flight information
- Rating: Command pilot
- Flight hours: Over 9,000
- Aircraft flown: C-17C-17 Globemaster IIIThe Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
, C-20, C-21, C-32, C-37, C-130, EC/RC-121, KC-10, KC-135, UH-1N, VC-137
Major awards and decorations
| Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force... with two oak leaf cluster Oak leaf cluster An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration... s |
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Defense Superior Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."... |
| Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements... with oak leaf cluster |
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| Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969... with three oak leaf clusters |
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National Order of Merit of France Ordre National du Mérite The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle... |
Effective dates of promotion
- Second Lieutenant May 23, 1971
- First Lieutenant April 3, 1973
- Captain October 3, 1975
- MajorMajor (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
August 1, 1983 - Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
March 1, 1986 - ColonelColonel (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
December 1, 1991 - Brigadier GeneralBrigadier general (United States)A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
April 1, 1996 - Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
July 1, 1999 - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
January 1, 2003 - GeneralGeneral (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
September 7, 2007