Chuck Horner

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General Charles A. Horner
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General Charles A. Horner

Charles A. Horner (19 October 1936- ) is a retired USAF general. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and attended the University of Iowa, as part of the Air Forve ROTC program. On 13 June 1958, Horner was commissioned into the Air Force Reserve. During the Vietnam War, he flew in combat as a Wild Weasel pilot and received the Silver Star. During Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, he commanded the American aerial forces, as well as those of the American allies. During the Desert Shield phase of the conflict, Horner briefly served as Commander-in-Chief - Forward of U.S. Central Command; while General Schwarzkopf was still in the United States.

He co-wrote Every Man a Tiger with Tom Clancy. In 2004, Horner served on a Pentagon team that looked into detainee abuse.


Contents

[edit] Education

[edit] Assignments

  • October 1958 - June 1959, student, officer preflight training, Spence AFB, Georgia
  • June 1959 - October 1960, student, pilot training, Laredo AFB, Texas
  • October - November 1960, student, F-100 combat crew training, Luke AFB, Arizona, and Nellis AFB, Nevada
  • November 1960 - December 1963, F-100 pilot, 492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath, England
  • December 1963 - December 1965, F-105 pilot, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
  • June 1965 - December 1965, temporary duty as F-105 pilot, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
  • December 1965 - May 1967, F-105 instructor pilot, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  • May 1967 - September 1967, F-105 Wild Weasel pilot, Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
  • September 1967 - October 1969, F-105 instructor pilot, Nellis AFB, Nevada, then liaison officer, Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  • October 1969 - January 1971, air operations staff officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
  • January 1971 - January 1972, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
  • January 1972 - August 1975, air operations officer, later, Chief of the Force Branch in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  • August 1975 - June 1976, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
  • June 1976 - March 1979, Deputy Commander for Operations, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
  • March 1979 - August 1979, Vice Commander, 58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona
  • August 1979 - May 1980, Commander, 405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
  • May 1980 - August 1981, Commander, 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  • August 1981 - May 1983, Commander, 833rd Air Division, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
  • May 1983 - October 1983, Commander, 23rd North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, and Tactical Air Command Air Division, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  • October 1983 - May 1985, Commander, Air Force Air Defense Weapons Center, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  • May 1985 - March 1987, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
  • March 1987 - June 1992, Commander, 9th Air Force, and Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Shaw AFB, South Carolina. He commanded U.S. and allied air operations for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia from August 1990 until his return to Shaw AFB in April 1991.
  • June 1992 - September 1994, Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command; Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado
  • September 30, 1994, Retired from active duty.

[edit] Flight information

  • Rating: Command pilot
  • Flight hours: More than 5,300
  • Aircraft flown: F-100, F-105, F-4, F-15, F-16
  • Pilot wings from: Laredo Air Force Base, Texas

[edit] Major awards and decorations

  • Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
  • Silver Star with oak leaf cluster
  • Legion of Merit
  • Distinguished Flying Cross
  • Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
  • Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters
  • Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
  • Combat Readiness Medal
  • National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star
  • Vietnam Service Medal with bronze star
  • Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

General Horner has been decorated with Canada's Meritorious Service Cross. Also, he has been honored by France, Pakistan and the sovereign states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

[edit] Other achievements

  • 1991 U.S. News Trophy
  • 1991 History of Aviation Award
  • 1991 Maxwell A. Kriendler Memorial Award
  • 1991 Aviation Achievement Award
  • 1991 Air Force Order of the Sword
  • 1991 Aviation Week and Space Technology's Aerospace Laureate
  • 1992 National Veteran's Award

[edit] Promotion dates

  • Second Lieutenant June 13, 1958
  • First Lieutenant June 12,1960
  • Captain Oct. 1, 1963
  • Major June 1, 1969
  • Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 1973
  • Colonel Feb. 1, 1975
  • Brigadier General Aug. 1, 1982
  • Major General July 1, 1985
  • Lieutenant General May 1, 1987
  • General July 1, 1992