James E. Dalton
Encyclopedia
James Edward Dalton is a former General
and former Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
.
in 1930. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School
. In 1954 he graduated from the United States Military Academy
, West Point, New York
.
After completing pilot training in 1955, Dalton joined the 76th Air Transport Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base
, South Carolina
, serving as an aircraft commander until he entered the University of Michigan
in 1958. After receiving a master of science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, and instrumentation engineering from the University of Michigan
in 1960, he served as a project officer in the Guidance and Control Directorate of the Ballistic Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command
at Los Angeles Air Force Station, California
. He was responsible for the development of the operational targeting programs for the inertially guided SM-65 Atlas, Titan
and LGM-30 Minuteman
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The general attended the Air Command and Staff College
during the 1964-1965 academic year and was then assigned to the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, Naha Air Base
, Okinawa, where he served as an aircraft commander, instructor pilot, flight commander and wing executive officer. During this assignment he served in Southeast Asia
as a C-130 Hercules
commander, operations officer and deputy commander of C-130 operating locations.
From May 1968 to May 1969, he was a project officer in the Missile Division, Office of the Deputy for Strategic Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development, Headquarters United States Air Force
, Washington D.C. While there he was the program element monitor for the Advanced Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Technology Program. He then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
, graduating in June 1970.
He was assigned as chief, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis Branch in the Office of the Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
for Strategic Arms Negotiations from June 1970 to August 1972. In this capacity he served with the United States Strategic Arms Limitations Talks Delegation as an adviser to the principal military delegate.
Dalton was vice commander of the 438th Military Airlift Wing, McGuire Air Force Base
, New Jersey
, until May 1973. He then took command of the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing at Eglin Air Force Base
, Florida
., where he was responsible for the rescue operations of seven squadrons and 14 detachments located in Europe
, Iceland
, Greenland
, Alaska
, Panama
and the United States
. As many as 100 aircraft of five different types were assigned to the wing. During his tenure the wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Military Airlift Command
's Distinguished Wing Flying Safety Award for 1973 and 1974.
In February 1975 he become commander of the Air Reserve Personnel Center
in Denver, Colorado
where he was responsible for personnel support for the Air Force Reserve and members of the Air National Guard
not on extended active duty, and personnel support for mobilization of the Air Reserve Forces.
From November 1976 to May 1977, he was deputy director of concepts in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations at Air Force headquarters. In June 1977 he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and served as deputy director for force development and strategic plans, Plans and Policy Directorate. His responsibilities involved a broad range of national security issues. In July 1978 he became vice director of the Joint Staff and in July 1980 he was named commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
. He served as director of the Joint Staff from July 1981 until assuming his duties as Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
in August 1983.
He was promoted to general on August 1, 1983 and retired twenty three months later to the day. In 1998, he was inducted into the Brooklyn Technical High School
Hall of Fame.
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...
and former Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
.
Biography
Dalton was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1930. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
. In 1954 he graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
.
After completing pilot training in 1955, Dalton joined the 76th Air Transport Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base
Charleston Air Force Base
Joint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, serving as an aircraft commander until he entered the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1958. After receiving a master of science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, and instrumentation engineering from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1960, he served as a project officer in the Guidance and Control Directorate of the Ballistic Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
at Los Angeles Air Force Station, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was responsible for the development of the operational targeting programs for the inertially guided SM-65 Atlas, Titan
Titan (rocket family)
Titan was a family of U.S. expendable rockets used between 1959 and 2005. A total of 368 rockets of this family were launched, including all the Project Gemini manned flights of the mid-1960s...
and LGM-30 Minuteman
LGM-30 Minuteman
The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The general attended the Air Command and Staff College
Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate professional military education school. It prepares field grade and equivalent officers of all U.S...
during the 1964-1965 academic year and was then assigned to the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, Naha Air Base
Naha Air Base
Naha Air Base is an airbase of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. It was formerly under control of the United States Air Force. It is located at Naha Airport, Okinawa, Japan....
, Okinawa, where he served as an aircraft commander, instructor pilot, flight commander and wing executive officer. During this assignment he served in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
as a C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
commander, operations officer and deputy commander of C-130 operating locations.
From May 1968 to May 1969, he was a project officer in the Missile Division, Office of the Deputy for Strategic Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development, Headquarters 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...
, Washington D.C. While there he was the program element monitor for the Advanced Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Technology Program. He then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
, graduating in June 1970.
He was assigned as chief, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis Branch in the Office of the Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
for Strategic Arms Negotiations from June 1970 to August 1972. In this capacity he served with the United States Strategic Arms Limitations Talks Delegation as an adviser to the principal military delegate.
Dalton was vice commander of the 438th Military Airlift Wing, McGuire Air Force Base
McGuire Air Force Base
JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, until May 1973. He then took command of the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing at Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
., where he was responsible for the rescue operations of seven squadrons and 14 detachments located in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As many as 100 aircraft of five different types were assigned to the wing. During his tenure the wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
's Distinguished Wing Flying Safety Award for 1973 and 1974.
In February 1975 he become commander of the Air Reserve Personnel Center
Air Reserve Personnel Center
The Air Reserve Personnel Center manages personnel records for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve and it is located at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado....
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
where he was responsible for personnel support for the Air Force Reserve and members of the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
not on extended active duty, and personnel support for mobilization of the Air Reserve Forces.
From November 1976 to May 1977, he was deputy director of concepts in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations at Air Force headquarters. In June 1977 he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
and served as deputy director for force development and strategic plans, Plans and Policy Directorate. His responsibilities involved a broad range of national security issues. In July 1978 he became vice director of the Joint Staff and in July 1980 he was named commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
. He served as director of the Joint Staff from July 1981 until assuming his duties as Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
in August 1983.
He was promoted to general on August 1, 1983 and retired twenty three months later to the day. In 1998, he was inducted into the Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
Hall of Fame.
Awards and decorations
Command Pilot badge with more than 5,400 flying hours
Defense Distinguished Service MedalDefense Distinguished Service MedalThe Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...
with an oak leaf cluster
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe 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 1 oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United States)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
Bronze Star MedalBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious 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 1 oak leaf cluster
Air MedalAir MedalThe Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with 5 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Vietnam Service MedalVietnam Service MedalThe Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
with 6 palms