John W. Roberts
Encyclopedia
John Wendell Roberts was a United States Air Force
General
and commander of the Air Training Command
with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base
, Texas
. He has a bachelor of science degree from Mankato State Teachers College and a master's degree from The George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College
and the National War College
.
, he received his commission and pilot wings through the aviation cadet program in February 1944. His first assignment was as an instructor pilot at Luke Field, Arizona
.
Two years later he was reassigned to a fighter wing in Germany. In April 1949, he returned to instructor pilot duties in the Fighter Weapons School
at Nellis Air Force Base
, Nevada
. There he won the trophy for top individual scoring in the first United States Air Force Fighter Weapons Meet. He was next assigned to Korea
where he flew combat missions in the F-84 Thunderjet
and F-86 Sabre
aircraft. While in Korea he served as flight commander and squadron operations officer.
In 1954 he received his first of three assignments to Headquarters Air Training Command
. His first assignment was as an operations staff officer. In 1957 he commanded the 3529th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Williams Air Force Base
, Arizona
, and in November of that year returned to Headquarters Air Training Command again as an operations staff officer.
, first as an operations officer and later as chief of the Combat Crew Directorate. He was transferred to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base
, Hawaii
, in September 1961.
Following graduation from the National War College
in 1965, he was assigned to the Pentagon where he was first the assistant chief of the Special Warfare Division, Directorate of Plans and Operations, Headquarters United States Air Force
; and in October 1966 chief, Systems Division, Defense Communications Planning Group, at the Naval Observatory.
In October 1967 he became vice commander, 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
, Arizona
, and in December 1968, commander of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Da Nang Air Base
, Vietnam
. After 10 months at Da Nang he moved to Headquarters Seventh Air Force
, Tan Son Nhut Air Base
, Vietnam, where he was the director of the Tactical Air Control Center.
In August 1970 General Roberts returned to Washington D.C., where he served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, as deputy director of personnel planning, and later director, personnel plans. He became the deputy chief of staff, personnel, in October 1973. For his contributions to Air Force personnel resource programs management, he was awarded the 1975 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award.
He became the commander of the Air Training Command
in August 1975. He was promoted to the rank of general on March 29, 1977, with the same date of rank. He retired two years and two days later on March 31, 1977. Once reflecting on his career, he said about his failures, "I crashed two aircraft when I was a captain, a B-25 and later an F-86. Both were pilot error. I cracked up the F-86 in the woods in Michigan
where the only thing left after the crash were the engine and me."
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...
General
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 commander of the Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He has a bachelor of science degree from Mankato State Teachers College and a master's degree from The George Washington University. He is also a graduate of 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...
and the National War College
National War College
The 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...
.
Early life
A native of Mankato, MinnesotaMankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
, he received his commission and pilot wings through the aviation cadet program in February 1944. His first assignment was as an instructor pilot at Luke Field, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Two years later he was reassigned to a fighter wing in Germany. In April 1949, he returned to instructor pilot duties in the Fighter Weapons School
Fighter Weapons School
Fighter Weapons School can mean the following:* United States Navy Fighter Weapons School* United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School now the United States Air Force Warfare Center* Fighter Weapons School - a RAF 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
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. There he won the trophy for top individual scoring in the first United States Air Force Fighter Weapons Meet. He was next assigned to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
where he flew combat missions in the F-84 Thunderjet
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
and F-86 Sabre
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...
aircraft. While in Korea he served as flight commander and squadron operations officer.
In 1954 he received his first of three assignments to Headquarters Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
. His first assignment was as an operations staff officer. In 1957 he commanded the 3529th Combat Crew Training Squadron 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
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and in November of that year returned to Headquarters Air Training Command again as an operations staff officer.
Later career
In August 1958 Roberts served with Headquarters 12th Air Force at Waco, TexasWaco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, first as an operations officer and later as chief of the Combat Crew Directorate. He was transferred to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, in September 1961.
Following graduation from the National War College
National War College
The 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...
in 1965, he was assigned to the Pentagon where he was first the assistant chief of the Special Warfare Division, Directorate of Plans and Operations, 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...
; and in October 1966 chief, Systems Division, Defense Communications Planning Group, at the Naval Observatory.
In October 1967 he became vice commander, 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and in December 1968, commander of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. After 10 months at Da Nang he moved to Headquarters Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. It is located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
, Vietnam, where he was the director of the Tactical Air Control Center.
In August 1970 General Roberts returned to Washington D.C., where he served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, as deputy director of personnel planning, and later director, personnel plans. He became the deputy chief of staff, personnel, in October 1973. For his contributions to Air Force personnel resource programs management, he was awarded the 1975 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award.
He became the commander of the Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
in August 1975. He was promoted to the rank of general on March 29, 1977, with the same date of rank. He retired two years and two days later on March 31, 1977. Once reflecting on his career, he said about his failures, "I crashed two aircraft when I was a captain, a B-25 and later an F-86. Both were pilot error. I cracked up the F-86 in the woods in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
where the only thing left after the crash were the engine and me."
Awards
Awards earned during his career:- Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (United States)The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
with an oak leaf cluster - Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
- 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 an 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...
with an 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 seven oak leaf clusters - Order of the SwordOrder of the Sword (United States)The Order of the Sword is an honor awarded within the U.S. Air Force. It is defined in the Airman's Guide by Boone Nicolls as a "special program where noncommisioned officers of a command recognize individuals they hold in high esteem and wish to honor...