Order of the Sword (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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. Those selected for induction are usually honored during a formal ceremony at a dining-in."[1]
Various webpages originating with the U.S. military claim an ancient origin for this order:
The Order of the Sword recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the enlisted corps. Only seven other individuals have been so honored since 1978. The ceremonial presentation was adopted from the Royal Order of the Sword and passed to the United States during the Revolutionary War. However, it lay dormant until it was reinstituted in its current form in 1967.
The original order of the sword was patterned after two orders of chivalry founded during the Middle Ages in Europe: the (British) Royal Order of the Sword and the Swedish Military Order of the Sword, still in existence today. In 1522, King Gustavus I of Sweden ordered the noblemen commissioned by him to appoint officers to serve him, and these people became known as the noncommissioned officers.[2]
Any "(British) Royal Order of the Sword" appears unknown to relevant reference works (such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica), and Britain was not a single kingdom in the Middle Ages. A "Swedish Military Order of the Sword" matching the description is not mentioned in Swedish reference works. The Royal Swedish Order of the Sword, a pure state decoration, not an independent order of chivalry, was founded only in 1748 by king Frederick I (two centuries after the reign of Gustavus I of Sweden), and all grades were limited to commissioned officers until 1850, when an affiliated decoration was established for non-commissioned officers. The Swedish order was made dormant in 1975, and as such it is no longer awarded.[3]
[edit] Recipients
Names taken from Members of the Order of the Sword
| Number | Recipient | MAJCOM | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brig Gen Roland J. Barnick | MAC | 26-May-67 |
| 2 | Gen Howell M. Estes, Jr. | MAC | 20-Dec-67 |
| 3 | Brig Gen Gilbert L. Curtis | MAC | 18-Jun-68 |
| 4 | Brig Gen William V. McBride | MAC | 26-Feb-69 |
| 5 | Col Reid J. Anderson | MAC | 26-Jul-69 |
| 6 | Col Gilbert G. Smith, Jr. | MAC | 29-Jul-69 |
| 7 | Col Thomas J. Arbogast | MAC | 12-May-70 |
| 8 | Brig Gen Clare T. Ireland, Jr. | MAC | 23-Jul-70 |
| 9 | Brig Gen John H. Germeraad | MAC | 2-Oct-70 |
| 10 | Brig Gen John F. Gonge | MAC | 24-Feb-72 |
| 11 | Gen Jack J. Catton | MAC | 20-Apr-71 |
| 12 | Col Leonard V. Gillespie | MAC | 29-Sep-71 |
| 13 | Honorable F. Edward Hebert | MAC | 28-Oct-71 |
| 14 | Maj Gen Archie M. Burke | NORAD | 11-Feb-72 |
| 15 | Brig Gen Richard M. Baughn | USAFE | 20-Mar-72 |
| 16 | Maj Gen William G. Moore, Jr. | MAC | 6-May-72 |
| 17 | Col Tedd L. Bishop | MAC | 14-Jul-72 |
| 18 | Maj Gen Jerry D. Page | ATC | 25-Jul-72 |
| 19 | Gen George B. Simler | ATC | 25-Aug-72 |
| 20 | Brig Gen Van N. Blackman | MAC | 8-Sep-72 |
| 21 | Col Robert H. Campbell | MAC | 11-Jun-73 |
| 22 | Maj Gen Frank M. Madsen, Jr. | ATC | 24-Jan-74 |
| 23 | Maj Gen Frank W. Elliott, Jr. | ATC | 26-Jul-74 |
| 24 | Col James I. Baginski | PACAF | 29-Jul-74 |
| 25 | Brig Gen Irbey B. Jarvis, Jr. | AFLC | 31-Oct-74 |
| 26 | Brig Gen Thomas M. Sadler | MAC | 12-Mar-75 |
| 27 | Maj Gen Lester T. Kearney | MAC | 21-May-75 |
| 28 | Col Donald A. Michela | PACAF | 11-Aug-75 |
| 29 | Brig Gen Harry A. Morris | MAC | 19-Sep-75 |
| 30 | Maj Gen Leroy J. Manor | PACAF | 19-Apr-76 |
| 31 | Brig Gen Emil N. Block | MAC | 9-Jun-76 |
| 32 | Brig Gen James E. McAdoo | AFRES | 11-Oct-76 |
| 33 | Lt Gen John W. Roberts | ATC | 12-Nov-76 |
| 34 | Gen Paul K. Carlton | MAC | 11-Feb-77 |
| 35 | Gen Louis L. Wilson | PACAF | 18-Mar-77 |
| 36 | Gen Russell E. Dougherty | SAC | 5-Apr-77 |
| 37 | Maj Gen Ralph S. Saunders | MAC | 6-May-77 |
| 38 | Col James T. Albritton | USAFE | 6-May-77 |
| 39 | Maj Gen Alden G. Glauch | MAC | 19-Jul-77 |
| 40 | Brig Gen Kenneth D. Burns | AFSS | 20-Oct-77 |
| 41 | Maj Gen Andrew P. Iosue | ATC | 3-Mar-78 |
| 42 | Gen Robert J. Dixon | TAC | 10-Mar-78 |
| 43 | Brig Gen James L. Wade | AFRES | 11-Mar-78 |
| 44 | Maj Gen Thomas A. Aldrich | MAC | 30-Mar-78 |
| 45 | Lt Gen Thomas W. Morgan | AFSC | 22-Apr-78 |
| 46 | Col Sharman R. Stevenson | PACAF | 31-May-78 |
| 47 | Gen David C. Jones | SAC | 31-May-78 |
| 48 | Col Dale L. Oderman | MAC | 1-Jun-78 |
| 49 | Lt Gen James D. Hughes | TAC | 3-Jun-78 |
| 50 | Maj Gen Rupert H. Burris | AFCS | 19-Jul-78 |
| 51 | Maj Gen Paul M. Myers | AFSC | 14-Sep-78 |
| 52 | Lt Gen Bryon M. Shotts | SAC | 10-Oct-78 |
| 53 | Lt Gen Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., (Ret) | TAC | 10-Nov-78 |
| 54 | Maj Gen William Lyons | AFRES | 3-Mar-79 |
| 55 | Maj Gen Benjamin F. Starr, Jr. | MAC | 10-Apr-79 |
| 56 | Col Anthony J. Dibaggio | USAFSS | 19-Apr-79 |
| 57 | Lt Gen Thomas P. Stafford | AFSC | 5-May-79 |
| 58 | Brig Gen Ledroli Attilio | ATC | 6-Dec-79 |
| 59 | Maj Gen William C. Norris | USAFE | 9-Apr-80 |
| 60 | Maj Gen LeRoy W. Svendsen, Jr. | AFMPC | 10-Apr-80 |
| 61 | Maj Gen Robert E. Sadler | AFCS | 12-Apr-80 |
| 62 | Lt Gen Winfield Scott, Jr. | AAC | 16-May-80 |
| 63 | CMSAF Donald L. Harlow, (Ret) | TAC | 20-May-80 |
| 64 | Mr. Robert (Bob) Hope | MAC | 10-Jun-80 |
| 65 | Col Thomas G. McInerney | PACAF | 22-Jul-80 |
| 66 | Gen Curtis E. LeMay | SAC | 18-Sep-80 |
| 67 | Gen Alton D. Slay | AFSC | 18-Oct-80 |
| 68 | Brig Gen Sidney S. Novaresi | AFRES | 14-Mar-81 |
| 69 | Brig Gen Alan G. Sharp | AFRES | 4-Apr-81 |
| 70 | Gen Richard H. Ellis | SAC | 8-May-81 |
| 71 | Maj Gen John T. Guice | ANG | 13-May-81 |
| 72 | Lt Gen Walter D. Druen, Jr. | USAFE | 16-May-81 |
| 73 | Gen Kenneth L. Tallman | USAFA | 21-May-81 |
| 74 | Gen Robert E. Huyser | MAC | 19-Jun-81 |
| 75 | Brig Gen Staryl C. Austin, (Ret) | ANG | 30-Oct-81 |
| 76 | Maj Gen Doyle E. Larson | ESC | 27-Mar-82 |
| 77 | Col Bruce M. Purvine | MAC | 3-Jun-82 |
| 78 | Maj Gen Norma Brown | ATC | 11-Jun-82 |
| 79 | Brig Gen Albert J. Kaehn, Jr. | MAC | 27-Jul-82 |
| 80 | Maj Gen Kenneth L. Peek | AFMPC | 5-Nov-82 |
| 81 | Col Lester R. Melott, Jr. | ESC | 13-Feb-83 |
| 82 | Lt Gen Richard C. Henry | AFSC | 16-Apr-83 |
| 83 | Lt Gen Robert W. Bazley | USAFE | 5-May-83 |
| 84 | Gen James R. Allen | MAC | 18-May-83 |
| 85 | Lt Gen Charles L. Donley, Jr. | PACAF | 28-May-83 |
| Lt Gen Charles L. Donley, Jr. | USAFE | 21-Feb-87 | |
| 86 | Lt Gen Robert T. Herres | AFCC | 27-Aug-83 |
| 87 | Gen Thomas M. Ryan, Jr. | ATC | 3-Sep-83 |
| 88 | Gen W. L. Creech | TAC | 4-Feb-84 |
| 89 | Gen Robert T. Marsh | AFSC | 16-Jun-84 |
| 90 | Gen James V. Hartinger | NORAD/SPACECOM29 | Jun-84 |
| 91 | Lt Gen James W. Stansberry | AFSC | 2-Sep-84 |
| 92 | Maj Gen Donald W. Bennett | MAC | 12-Oct-84 |
| 93 | Gen Bennie L. Davis | SAC | 18-Oct-84 |
| 94 | Maj Gen John E. Taylor, Jr. | USAFR | 27-Oct-84 |
| 95 | Maj Gen John B. Conaway | ANG | 10-Apr-85 |
| 96 | Bri Gen Regis F. Urschler | ESC | 1-May-85 |
| 97 | Maj Gen Cornelius Nugteren | AFLC | 31-May-85 |
| 98 | Col Paul E. Landers, Jr. | MAC | 17-Jun-85 |
| 99 | Maj Gen Sloan R. Gill | AFRES | 27-Oct-85 |
| 100 | Col Robert D. Acres | AFLC | 2-Nov-85 |
| 101 | Gen John L. Piotrowski | TAC | 24-Jan-86 |
| 102 | Col James D. Elmer | MAC | 8-Feb-86 |
| 103 | Gen Charles A. Gabriel | USAF | 22-Mar-86 |
| 104 | Maj Gen Raymond A. Matera | ANG | 18-Apr-86 |
| 105 | Brig Gen George E. Chapman | MAC | 26-Apr-86 |
| 106 | Brig Gen Vernon J. Kondra | MAC | 14-Jun-86 |
| 107 | Col Louis V. Pelini | MAC | 25-Jul-86 |
| 108 | Maj Gen William J. Breckner, Jr. | USAFE. | 30-Aug-86 |
| 109 | Gen Earl T. O'Loughlin | AFLC | 19-Sep-86 |
| 110 | Brig Gen Floyd A. Hargrove | MAC | 11-Oct-86 |
| 111 | Maj Gen Gerald L. Prather | AFCC | 17-Oct-86 |
| 112 | Lt Gen Thomas C. Richards | AU | 1-Nov-86 |
| 113 | Maj Gen Chris O. Divich | ATC | 15-Jan-87 |
| 114 | Maj Gen Donald D. Brown | MAC | 31-Mar-87 |
| 115 | Maj Gen Donald Snyder | PACAF | 8-Apr-87 |
| 116 | Gen Lawrence A. Skantze | AFSC | 25-Apr-87 |
| 117 | Brig Gen Richard S. Beyea, Jr. | AFOSI | 25-Sep-87 |
| 118 | Col Richard C. Youngs | AFRES | 26-Sep-87 |
| 119 | Maj Gen Jack W. Sheppard | MAC | 2-Oct-87 |
| 120 | Lt Gen Edward L. Tixier | PACAF | 11-Jan-88 |
| 121 | Lt Gen David L. Nichols | AAC | 7-May-88 |
| 122 | Congressman Sonny Montgomery | AFRES | 12-May-88 |
| 123 | Gen Jack I. Gregory | PACAF | 21-Jun-88 |
| 124 | Maj Gen Ralph E. Spraker | AFSPACECOM | 1-Jul-88 |
| 125 | Honorable Casper W. Weinberger | USAF | 19-Nov-88 |
| 126 | Maj Gen Melvin G. Alkire | AFCOMS | 14-Jan-89 |
| 127 | Gen William L. Kirk | USAFE | 18-Mar-89 |
| 128 | Brig Gen Alfred P.Bunting | ANG | 28-Mar-89 |
| 129 | Gen Alfred G. Hansen | AFLC | 28-Apr-89 |
| 130 | Maj Gen Paul H. Martin | ESC | 14-Jul-89 |
| 131 | Gen Duane H. Cassidy | MAC | 18-Aug-89 |
| 132 | Maj Gen Fredric F. Doppelt | AFSC | 7-Oct-89 |
| 133 | Maj Gen James C. Wahleithner | AFRES | 14-Oct-89 |
| 134 | Maj Gen Vernon Chong | ATC | 2-Dec-89 |
| 135 | Gen Larry D. Welch | USAF | 3-Mar-90 |
| 136 | Gen Bernard P. Randolph | AFSC | 17-Mar-90 |
| 137 | Col Edmund C. Morrisey, Jr., (Ret) | ANG | 20-Mar-90 |
| 138 | Gen Robert D. Russ | TAC | 20-Apr-90 |
| 139 | Maj Gen Robert B. Patterson, (Ret) | MAC | 20-Apr-90 |
| 140 | Lt Gen Robert C. Oaks | ATC | 9-Jun-90 |
| 141 | Maj Gen Larry N. Tibbetts | ATC | 20-Jun-90 |
| 142 | Maj Gen Roger P. Scheer | AFRES | 25-Aug-90 |
| 143 | Maj Gen Paul R. Stoney, (Ret) | AFCC | 25-Sep-90 |
| 144 | Gen Michael J. Dugan | USAFE | 10-Nov-90 |
| 145 | Lt Gen James B. Davis | PACAF | 24-Nov-90 |
| 146 | Maj Gen Paul A. Harvey | ATC | 2-Feb-91 |
| 147 | Lt Gen Charles R. Hamm | USAFA | 26-Apr-91 |
| 148 | Lt Gen Gordon E. Fornell | AFSC | 11-May-91 |
| 149 | Gen John T. Chain, Jr. | SAC | 13-Jan-91 |
| 150 | Lt Gen Donald L. Cromer | AFSC | 17-May-91 |
| 151 | Col Richard F. Law | AFOSI | 20-Jun-91 |
| 152 | Maj Gen Richard M. Pascoe | TAC | 16-Jul-91 |
| 153 | Maj Gen Joseph A. Ahearn | USAF | 21-Aug-91 |
| 154 | Lt Gen Richard J. Trzaskoma | MAC | 27-Sep-91 |
| 155 | Lt Gen Robert H. Ludwig | AFCC | 28-Sep-91 |
| 156 | Gen Charles C. McDonald | AFLC | 29-Feb-92 |
| 157 | Lt Gen Charles A. Horner | TAC | 14-Mar-92 |
| 158 | Lt Gen Clifford H. Rees, Jr. | USAFE | 25-Jul-92 |
| 159 | Col Charles L. Fox | PACAF | 20-Oct-92 |
| 160 | Gen Hansford T. Johnson | AMC | 6-Feb-93 |
| 161 | Gen Charles G. Boyd | AU | 25-Feb-93 |
| 162 | Maj Gen John S. Fairfield | AFCC | 11 My 1993 |
| 163 | Maj Gen Philip G. Killey | ANG | 9-Nov-93 |
| 164 | Gen Ronald Fogleman | AMC | 14-May-94 |
| 165 | Maj Gen Robert S. Deligatti | USAFE | 29-Apr-94 |
| 166 | Lt Gen Bradley C. Hosmer | USAFA | 29-Apr-94 |
| 167 | Gen Ronald W. Yates | AFMC | 5-Mar-94 |
| 168 | Maj Gen Robert A. McIntosh | AFRES | 29-Jul-94 |
| 169 | Gen Merrill A. McPeak | HQ USAF | 20-Aug-94 |
| 170 | Gen Robert L. Rutherford | PACAF | 23-Aug-94 |
| 171 | Gen Henry Viccellio | AETC | 1-Oct-94 |
| 172 | Maj Gen Kenneth A. Minihan | AIA | 24-Oct-94 |
| 173 | Lt Gen Edward P. Barry | AFMC | 18-Nov-94 |
| 174 | Gen Thomas Moorman | AFSPC | 28-Nov-94 |
| 175 | Gen John Michael Loh | ACC | 25-Feb-95 |
| 176 | Lt Gen Malcolm B. Armstrong | AMC | 23-Sep-95 |
| 177 | Gen James L. Jamerson | USAFE | 18-Nov-95 |
| 178 | Gen Joseph W. Ashy | AFSPC | 17-Aug-96 |
| 179 | Col John E. Killeen | AFSPA | 14-Sep-96 |
| 180 | Dr. William J. Perry | HQ USAF | 19-Oct-96 |
| 181 | Gen James E. Sherrard | AFRES | 2-Nov-96 |
| 182 | Maj Gen James L. Hobson, Jr. | AFSOC | 24-Jan-97 |
| 183 | Gen John G. Lorber | PACAF | 30-Jun-97 |
| 184 | Lt Gen Paul E. Stein | USAFA | 12-Jul-97 |
| 185 | Maj Gen Donald W. Shepperd | NGB | 4-Nov-97 |
| 186 | Col John L. Hayes | AFWA | 4-Apr-98 |
| 187 | Gen Michael E. Ryan | USAFE | 17-Apr-98 |
| 188 | Gen Walter Kross | AMC | 18-Jul-98 |
| 189 | Gen Howell M. Estes III | AFSPC | 7-Aug-98 |
| 190 | Lt Gen Kenneth E. Eickmann | AFMC | 15-Aug-98 |
| 191 | Gen Richard E. Hawley | ACC | 17-Apr-99 |
| 192 | Gen Lloyd W. Newton | AETC | 18-Jun-99 |
| 193 | Col Raymond W. Owens III | AFOSI | 21-Oct-99 |
| 194 | Maj Gen Paul A. Weaver Jr. | ANG | 22-Nov-99 |
| 195 | Gen. Charles R. Holland | AFSOC | 22-Jan-00 |
| 196 | Gen George T. Babbitt | AFMC | 27-Mar-00 |
| 197 | Gen John P. Jumper | USAFE | 8-Apr-00 |
| 198 | Brig Gen (Ret) Steven A. Roser | AMC | 14-Apr-00 |
| 199 | Lt Gen Tad J. Oelstrom | AFSOC | 7-Jun-00 |
| 200 | Brig Gen Richard A. Coleman | AFSFC | 24-Aug-00 |
| 201 | Honorable F. Whitten Peters | HQ USAF | 16-Dec-00 |
| 202 | Brig Gen (Ret) Heinie Aderholt | AFSOC | 18-Jan-01 |
| 203 | Gen Patrick Gamble | PACAF | 6-Apr-01 |
| 204 | Maj Gen David E. Tanzi | AFRES | 2-Jun-01 |
| 205 | Gen Charles T. Robertson | AMC | 3-Nov-01 |
| 206 | Gen Ralph E. Eberhart | AFSC | 25-Jan-02 |
| 207 | Lt Gen Maxwell C. Bailey | AFSOC | 15-Mar-02 |
| 208 | Gen Lester L. Lyles | AFMC | 7-Nov-02 |
| 209 | Gen Gregory S. Martin | USAFE | 30-Mar-03 |
| 210 | Maj Gen Timothy J. McMahon | ACC | 22-Oct-04 |
| 211 | Honorable James G. Roche (SECAF) | HQ USAF | 13-Sep-04 |
| 212 | Gen William J. Begert | PACAF | 30-Jun-04 |
| 213 | Gen Hal M. Hornburg | ACC | 22-Oct-04 |
| 214 | Gen Paul V. Hester | AFSOC | 5-Nov-04 |
| 215 | Lt Gen John D. Hopper, Jr. | AETC | 10-Dec-04 |
| 216 | Gen Donald G. Cook | AETC | 14-Jun-05 |
| 217 | Maj Gen Tommy Crawford | 11th Wing | 22-Jul-05 |
| 218 | Gen. John W. Handy | AMC | 29-Jul-05 |
| 219 | Gen Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong | USAFE | 26-Aug-05 |
| 220 | Brig Gen Francis X. Taylor | AFOSI | 16-Sep-05 |
| 221 | Lt. Gen. Daniel James III | ANG | 16-Nov-05 |
| 222 | Gen Lance W. Lord | AFSPC | 11-Feb-06 |
| 223 | Gen Duncan McNabb | AMC | 16-Sep-07 |
| 224 | Lt Gen Michael Wooley | AFSOC | 21-Sep-07 |
| 225 | Gen William T. Hobbins | USAFE | 17-Nov-07 |
| 226 | Gen Bruce Carlson | AFMC | 6-Dec-07 |
| 227 | Gen William R. Looney III | AETC | 30-May-08 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Boone Nicolls, Airman's Guide. Stackpole Books, 2004 (ISBN 0-8117-3153-7), p. 12.
- ^ "Noncommissioned officers recognize Air National Guard director", press release from the Texas National Guard Public Affairs Office, retrieved 1 september 2006.
- ^ "Svärdsorden", in Nordisk familjebok, vol. 27 (1918), col. 1340 f; "Svärdsorden", Nationalencyklopedin, retrieved 1 september 2006.
