John L. Piotrowski
Encyclopedia
General John Louis Piotrowski (born February 17, 1934) is a retired United States Air Force
four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (VCSAF), from 1985 to 1987; and Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command
/Commander in Chief, U.S. Space Command (CINCNORAD/USCINCSPACE), from 1987 to 1990.
Piotrowski was born in 1934, in Detroit and graduated from Henry Ford Trade School in Dearborn, Michigan
, in 1951. He attended Arizona State University
and Florida State University
, and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree. He did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California
and Auburn University
, and attended the program for management development at Harvard University
. He completed Squadron Officer School
in 1956, Air Command and Staff College
in 1965, Armed Forces Staff College in 1968 and the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare, Royal Air Force Station Manby, England, in 1971.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in September 1952. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base
, Texas, he was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base
, Mississippi, as a student in basic electronics and ground radar.
In July 1953 Piotrowski transferred to Harlingen Air Force Base
, Texas, for navigator and observer training in the aviation cadet program. After graduating as a distinguished graduate, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force in August 1954. He then returned to Keesler Air Force Base for advanced training in electronic countermeasures. In January 1955 he received the electronic warfare rating and was assigned to the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in South Korea and Japan as an electronic warfare officer and RB-26 navigator.
Piotrowski returned to the United States in May 1957 for pilot training at Marana Air Base, Arizona; Bainbridge Air Base, Georgia; and Bryan Air Force Base
, Texas. He then attended F-86F
advanced gunnery training at Williams Air Force Base
, Arizona. After graduation he was assigned as armament and electronics maintenance officer at Williams and, later, at Luke Air Force Base
, Arizona. In May 1961 he moved to Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field 9
, Florida, and joined the initial cadre of Project Jungle Jim, which became the 1st Air Commando Wing. While assigned to Eglin, he served in Southeast Asia, from November 1961 to May 1963, as a munitions maintenance officer, and T-28
and B-26 combat aircrew member.
In August 1965 Piotrowski joined the Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base
, Nevada, and served as an F-4C instructor pilot, chief of academics, an academic instructor and project officer for the Air Force operational test and evaluation of the Walleye missile program
. Upon completion of testing in the United States, he introduced the Walleye into combat with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Southeast Asia. After graduation from the Armed Forces Staff College in August 1968, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as an action officer under the deputy director of plans for force development.
From December 1970 to July 1971 he attended the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare. He was then assigned to Bitburg Air Base
, West Germany, as assistant and, subsequently, deputy commander for operations, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing. In January 1972 he took command of the 40th Tactical Group, Aviano Air Base
, Italy.
In April 1974 Piotrowski became chief of the Air Force Six-Man Group, located at Maxwell Air Force Base
, directly responsible to the chief of staff. He became vice commander of Keesler Technical Training Center, Keesler Air Force Base, in March 1975.
He took command of the reactivated 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base
, Oklahoma, in July 1976 and was instrumental in establishing the E-3A Sentry
Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft as an operational Air Force weapon system. While Congress debated the E-3 future (due to huge cost over-runs), General Piotrowski took the planes on continuous road shows. Especially Europe, and Korea. He filled the planes with observers who would benefit, or could appreciate the capability to project tactical forces anywhere in the world, in less than 24 hours. It should be noted, he was not only an effective leader, he was very personable and warm hearted. Before Piotrowski, the E-3 was going to be a system that would orbit America in defense, and after he arrived he changed the system to deploy to where the war was, and bring tankers and fighters along. A true tactical mission, with troops who could live out of an A-3 bag for 200 days a year. Piotrowski was named deputy commander for air defense, Tactical Air Command
, Peterson Air Force Base
, in September 1979. In April 1981 he became Tactical Air Command's deputy chief of staff for operations at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and in August 1982 was assigned as the command's vice commander. He served as commander of 9th Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base
, South Carolina, from October 1982 to July 1985, when he became vice chief of staff of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. He assumed command of NORAD in February 1987.
Piotrowski was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, including 100 combat missions and 210 combat flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit
, Meritorious Service Medal
with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal
with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation
and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters. He received the Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award for 1979.
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...
four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (VCSAF), from 1985 to 1987; and Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
/Commander in Chief, U.S. Space Command (CINCNORAD/USCINCSPACE), from 1987 to 1990.
Piotrowski was born in 1934, in Detroit and graduated from Henry Ford Trade School in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, in 1951. He attended Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...
in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree. He did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The 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...
and Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, and attended the program for management development at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard 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...
. He completed Squadron Officer School
Squadron Officer School
Squadron Officer School , is a five-week long Professional Military Education course for U.S. Air Force Captains. It fulfills the U.S. Air Force's requirement for primary developmental education . SOS is based at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the in-residence version of the course is taught there...
in 1956, 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...
in 1965, Armed Forces Staff College in 1968 and the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare, Royal Air Force Station Manby, England, in 1971.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in September 1952. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas, he was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
, Mississippi, as a student in basic electronics and ground radar.
In July 1953 Piotrowski transferred to Harlingen Air Force Base
Harlingen Air Force Base
Harlingen Air Force Base, originally Harlingen Army Airfield, is a former United States Air Force base located in northeast Harlingen, Texas, United States. After its closure, the airport was redeveloped into Valley International Airport....
, Texas, for navigator and observer training in the aviation cadet program. After graduating as a distinguished graduate, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force in August 1954. He then returned to Keesler Air Force Base for advanced training in electronic countermeasures. In January 1955 he received the electronic warfare rating and was assigned to the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in South Korea and Japan as an electronic warfare officer and RB-26 navigator.
Piotrowski returned to the United States in May 1957 for pilot training at Marana Air Base, Arizona; Bainbridge Air Base, Georgia; and Bryan Air Force Base
Bryan Air Force Base
Bryan Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located just west of Bryan, Texas. Today, the location houses the Texas A&M University Riverside Campus.-World War II:...
, Texas. He then attended F-86F
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
advanced gunnery training at Williams Air Force Base
Williams Air Force Base
Williams Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, located in Mesa, and about southeast of Phoenix, Arizona.It was active as a training base for both the United States Army Air Forces, as well as the USAF from 1941 until its closure in 1993...
, Arizona. After graduation he was assigned as armament and electronics maintenance officer at Williams and, later, at Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
, Arizona. In May 1961 he moved to Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field 9
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, and joined the initial cadre of Project Jungle Jim, which became the 1st Air Commando Wing. While assigned to Eglin, he served in Southeast Asia, from November 1961 to May 1963, as a munitions maintenance officer, and T-28
T-28 Trojan
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
and B-26 combat aircrew member.
In August 1965 Piotrowski joined the Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, Nevada, and served as an F-4C instructor pilot, chief of academics, an academic instructor and project officer for the Air Force operational test and evaluation of the Walleye missile program
AGM-62 Walleye
The AGM-62 Walleye is a television-guided glide bomb which was produced by Martin Marietta and used by the United States armed forces during the 1960s. Most had a 250 lb high-explosive warhead, some had a nuclear warhead...
. Upon completion of testing in the United States, he introduced the Walleye into combat with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Southeast Asia. After graduation from the Armed Forces Staff College in August 1968, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as an action officer under the deputy director of plans for force development.
From December 1970 to July 1971 he attended the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare. He was then assigned to Bitburg Air Base
Bitburg Air Base
Bitburg Airport is a commercial airport serving Bitburg, a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. It is located 2 miles southeast of Bitburg, 20 miles north of Trier, and 135 miles west of Wiesbaden....
, West Germany, as assistant and, subsequently, deputy commander for operations, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing. In January 1972 he took command of the 40th Tactical Group, Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, Italy.
In April 1974 Piotrowski became chief of the Air Force Six-Man Group, located at Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, directly responsible to the chief of staff. He became vice commander of Keesler Technical Training Center, Keesler Air Force Base, in March 1975.
He took command of the reactivated 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in the southeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, directly south of the suburb of Midwest City, Oklahoma.-Overview:...
, Oklahoma, in July 1976 and was instrumental in establishing the E-3A Sentry
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft as an operational Air Force weapon system. While Congress debated the E-3 future (due to huge cost over-runs), General Piotrowski took the planes on continuous road shows. Especially Europe, and Korea. He filled the planes with observers who would benefit, or could appreciate the capability to project tactical forces anywhere in the world, in less than 24 hours. It should be noted, he was not only an effective leader, he was very personable and warm hearted. Before Piotrowski, the E-3 was going to be a system that would orbit America in defense, and after he arrived he changed the system to deploy to where the war was, and bring tankers and fighters along. A true tactical mission, with troops who could live out of an A-3 bag for 200 days a year. Piotrowski was named deputy commander for air defense, Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
, Peterson Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement...
, in September 1979. In April 1981 he became Tactical Air Command's deputy chief of staff for operations at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and in August 1982 was assigned as the command's vice commander. He served as commander of 9th Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command...
, South Carolina, from October 1982 to July 1985, when he became vice chief of staff of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. He assumed command of NORAD in February 1987.
Piotrowski was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, including 100 combat missions and 210 combat flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
The 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...
, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, 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...
, 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 two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal
Air Medal
The 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 two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters. He received the Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award for 1979.
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...
Air Force Distinguished Service MedalAir Force Distinguished Service MedalThe 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...
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...
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 two oak leaf clusters
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:...
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster- Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters