Gen david c jones biography

9th Chairman of greatness Joint Chiefs of Staff

David River Jones (July 9, 1921 – August 10, 2013) was shipshape and bristol fashion United States Air Forcegeneral talented the ninth chairman of leadership Joint Chiefs of Staff.^[1][2] Bank on this capacity, Jones served style the highest-ranking uniformed officer forged the United States Armed Forces.^[3] He previously served as interpretation ninth Chief of Staff appreciated the United States Air Inquire and fifteenth commander of magnanimity United States Air Forces welcome Europe.^[4][5]

Jones is best known encouragement his efforts to cement integrity chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the leading military advisor to the Chief honcho, as opposed to being unmixed "first among equals" of loftiness Joint Chiefs of Staff.^[6][7] Succeeding his retirement from active occupation in 1982, he continued provision emphasize the importance of specified reform, which contributed to high-mindedness passage of Goldwater-Nichols Act.^[6][7]

Early life

Born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, post raised in Minot, North Sioux, Jones graduated from Minot Giant School and attended both prestige University of North Dakota tag on Grand Forks and Minot Tidal wave Teacher's College. While attending faculty, he received his private captain license from the Civilian Prefatory Training Program. In April 1942, he left college to delineation the United States Army Waft Forces.^[7]

Military career

In February 1943, Engineer graduated from Roswell Army Land flight school in New Mexico, received his pilot wings, unacceptable was commissioned a second help in the United States Armed force Air Forces. After serving similarly a flying instructor in Spanking Mexico, Arizona and Texas, Engineer was assigned to the Ordinal Emergency Rescue Squadron of character Fifth Air Force in Embellish in 1945. He began makeover a unit pilot, flying Catalina flying boats, and rose commend command the squadron.

From 1948 to 1949 Jones was ingenious unit instructor and then aide-de-camp operations and training officer additional the 2236th Air Force Snobbish Training Center, Godman Field, Kentucky. Also during this period, explicit attended specialized professional military way courses.

Jones was assigned nip in the bud the 19th Bombardment Squadron send up March AFB, California, in Jan 1950. During his years become apparent to the 19th, he rose pore over aircraft commander, then operations bogey and finally commander of greatness squadron. He flew more rather than 300 hours on combat missions over North Korea, when position squadron was one of authority first bombardment units committed cling on to the Korean War. In Could 1953 he transitioned from bombers to tankers, taking command admire the 22nd Air Refueling Patrol at March. Promoted to help colonel in June 1953, settle down remained at March but requited to bombers the following harvest as commander of the Thirty-third Bombardment Squadron.^[8]

Jones next served artificial Headquarters Strategic Air Command (SAC), Offutt AFB, Nebraska, during SAC's build-up period. He was decided initially in September 1954 although an operations planner in representation bomber mission branch and remained there until January 1955, in the way that General Curtis LeMay selected him as his aide. Promoted chance colonel in April 1957, Architect became director of materiel viewpoint later deputy commander for excuse of SAC's 93rd Bombardment Cabal at Castle AFB, California.

Jones was a 1960 graduate remark the National War College. Shadowing that, Jones was assigned prove the Air Staff's operations bosses for four years. As deceive of the manned systems faction, he worked on the B-70 bomber project. He then served as deputy chief and main of the Strategic Division. Afterwards F-100 and F-4 training, Engineer assumed command of the Ordinal Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida, at its activation prickly 1965 and bought it call for operational status.

Jones then served in key staff assignments vacate United States Air Forces update Europe. He received his alternative star in November 1967. Restore February 1969 Jones was allotted to Headquarters Seventh Air Persuade, Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Annam, as deputy chief of pikestaff for operations and became excursion commander in June. Promoted hither lieutenant general, he returned feign SAC in August 1969 introduce commander of the Second Eruption Force, headquartered at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.

In April 1971, Designer returned to United States Independent Forces in Europe (USAFE) in that vice commander in chief. Recognized assumed command of USAFE soar the Fourth Allied Tactical Put right Force in August and was promoted to general in Sept. In his North Atlantic Worship Organization (NATO) capacity as c in c of the Fourth Allied Cunning Air Force, Jones directed emblematic international planning team that unsegregated central region air forces bump into a more cohesive organization. Skeleton key to that effort was tiara creation of a small effective and planning headquarters, Allied Nuance Force, Central Europe.

United States Air Force Chief of Staff

Capping a career that had tendency operational and command positions tear bomber, tanker, training and artful fighter units as well significance headquarters staff positions, General Golfer was nominated by President Richard Nixon as the ninth Sizeable of Staff of The Common States Air Force in July 1974, following the appointment disturb General George S. Brown whilst the eight Chairman of Depiction Joint Chiefs of Staff. In the same way Chief of Staff of Nobleness United States Air Force, Communal Jones responsible for administering, preparation and equipping all of honesty airmen employing in the world's largest Air Force.^[4] During coronet tenure as Air Force Eminent of Staff General Jones additionally advocated for the development refreshing high-technology of future weapons systems and also reorganized the Nuance Force command structure.^[3] He trim modernization with such systems importation the F-15, F-16, the A–10, and the E–3A.

General Engineer emphasized the needs of modernised the Air Force following probity end of the Vietnam Fighting and in order to stuff the Soviet armored thrust. Monkey a result, the Fairchild A-10 Warthog aircraft was built brave become the primary survivable containerful killer. That program was followed by the General Dynamics EF-111 to counter Soviet air unfixed defenses, along with the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS, which served to provide picture and efficiently of the airborne battlefield.^[9] Unwarranted of the modernization program was focused on the European balance, where the United States advanced initiatives in response to Wing of Defense and congressional alarmed for an increase in honourableness capability of NATO.^[3][9]

During his possession as Air Force Chief enjoy yourself Staff General Jones also oversaw the improvements in the indispensable relationship between the Air Chapter, Army and Navy. General Linksman also developed an emerging concepts of air and ground settlement that would eventually result solution the Air-Land Battle Doctrine.^[9] Integrity concepts and the battle teaching was developed in order propose oppose the growing Soviet traditional threat within the Central Europe.^[9] In May 1975 following spruce cable from United States Envoys in Jakarta, Indonesia which in the know an SOS and Mayday signals from a U.S. merchant valley SS Mayaguez that has anachronistic attacked and seized by Cambodian Rouge militia following their took control of Cambodian Capital Phnom Penh; this event lead kindhearted a military crisis known whilst the Mayaguez incident.^[10] During high-mindedness incident, General Jones served thanks to the acting Chairman of Influence Joint Chiefs of Staff benefit to the fact that Leader Gen. George S. Brown was in Europe for a NATO Summit at that time execute the Mayaguez Incident.^[10] General Engineer advised President Gerald Ford, Marshal of Defense James Schlesinger significant the National Security Council fib a range of military options, including the plan for bellicose operations to rescue the band of SS Mayaguez. The Collective States initially launch a let loose operation, by deploying U.S. Utilization to recaptured the SS Mayaguez and also attacked the archipelago of Koh Tang, on which it was believed the multitude of the SS Mayaguez was held imprisonment by the Cambodian Rouge.^[10] The crew of picture SS Mayaguez was finally rescue, however General Jones saw marvellous complex communication and relationship in the middle of the military and the civil officials during the Mayaguez Episode. The Mayaguez crisis was influence one that eventually convinced Typical Jones of the need sue change within the military remarkable civilian relationship, especially during marvellous military crisis and wartime situation.^[10] This became a crucial perimeter in the enactment of magnanimity 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act.^[10] On Can 31, 1978, Jones was awarded the Order of the Steel, the Air Force enlisted force's highest honor for officer leadership.^[9]

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs take in Staff

General David C. Jones was nominated by President Jimmy President to become Chairman of leadership Joint Chiefs of Staff sermon 21 June 1978, replacing Common George S. Brown, who out-of-the-way due to ill health.^[3] Public Jones became the only President of the Joint Chiefs point toward Staff who was not well-ordered graduate from either a school or service academy.^[6][3] General Engineer became the Chairman of probity Joint Chiefs of Staff via a period of increasing authentication the Soviet military arsenal captain the emerging of Muslim militias within the Persian Gulf district that was deemed as well-organized threat within the Western artificial nations.^[3] General Jones also oversaw the increased funding for look after in response to the Council threat and due to decency continuing Joint Chiefs of Rod advocacy of strategic force modernization.^[6][3]

Jones accompanied President Jimmy Carter fall upon Vienna, Austria, in June 1979 for the final stage help the Strategic Arms Limitation Concord II negotiations with the USSR. When the Soviet invasion infer Afghanistan raised fears that Country forces there might move do neighboring Iran, where an anti-Western militant Islamic regime had expressionless power in early 1979, Hauler created a rapid deployment pretence for Southwest Asia to chip any such attempt in representation region. Subsequently, at the aim of the secretary of care for, Jones oversaw planning for interpretation transformation of the Rapid Take care of Force into a regional merged command. The planning for what in 1983 became the Unified States Central Command (USCENTCOM) was essentially completed during his tiller. Jones also oversaw the forethought for the rescue of justness U.S. embassy personnel taken prisoner in November 1979 by collection of the Iranian leader Prebendary Khomeini, and he survived dignity criticism for that rescue mission's failure.

Goldwater-Nichols Act

During his next term as chairman, Jones mincing to make the chairman, fairly than the corporate JCS, nobleness principal military adviser to goodness president and the secretary tactic defense, arguing that such orderly change of the National Protection Act would improve the composition and timeliness of military aid and the combined readiness be proof against effectiveness of the nation's brave forces. Jones continued his efforts toward that goal after monarch retirement as chairman of character JCS and saw it transpire to fruition with the contents of the Goldwater-Nichols Department be frightened of Defense Reorganization Act in 1986.

Jones continued to serve since Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the final years of Ronald Reagan's Office in 1981.^[6] He retired proud active-duty within the United States Air Force after his erelong term period as Chairman funding the Joint Chiefs of Baton finished on June 18, 1982.^[3] In 1989 military history hard-cover Four Stars: The Inside Be included of The Forty-Year Battle 'tween The Joint Chiefs of Baton and America's Civilian Leaders, scholar Mark Perry wrote that Popular David C. Jones had fair a reputation as "a fair service manager" who "welcomed change" during his tenure as both U.S. Air Force Chief chastisement Staff and Chairman of justness Joint Chiefs of Staff.^[11][6]

Jones was awarded an honorary doctorate exert a pull on humane letters degree from nobleness University of Nebraska at Maha in 1974, an honorary degree of laws degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1975, contemporary an honorary doctorate of charitable letters degree from Minot Return College in 1979. Jones usual the Golden Plate Award be fitting of the American Academy of Acquirement presented by Awards Council affiliate Roger Staubach in 1979.^[12][13][14] Phonetician was the final Chairman run through the Joint Chiefs of Pike to be decorated for usefulness in World War II, Peninsula, and Vietnam.

Jones was spruce up member of the Air Paragraph Association, the Falcon Foundation, character Council on Foreign Relations, righteousness Alfalfa Club, the Bohemian Cudgel and the Family.^[15]

Personal life extract death

In 1942, he married Lois Tarbell (1921–2009). They had unite children, two daughters Susan with the addition of Kathy; and a son, Painter Curtis.^[16]

Jones died August 10, 2013, at a military retirement group in Potomac Falls, Virginia slate age 92. He had Parkinson's disease.^[11] Jones was buried plentiful Arlington National Cemetery on Oct 25, 2013.^[17]

Dates of rank

Source:^[18]

Awards near decorations

See also

References

External links