CJ30P-BIO

 

LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN W. CARPENTER III

 

Lieutenant General John W. Carpenter III is Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He has additional duty as Senior Air Force Member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations.

            General Carpenter was born in Starkville, Miss., on Aug. 11, 1916. He was graduated from high school in Stillwater, Okla., and later studied engineering at Oklahoma A&M and Mississippi State College. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1935, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in military science in 1939. He also attended the Air Command and Staff School and the Air War College. After graduation from the U.S. Military Academy, he attended the Air Corps flying schools at Tulsa, Okla., and Randolph and Kelly Fields, Tex., receiving his pilot wings in June 1940.

            He was assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group at March Field, Calif., where he served as a heavy bombardment pilot, navigator and bombardier. In May 1941 he participated in the first mass flight of B-17s from Hamilton Field, Calif., to Hickam Field, Hawaii. In October 1941 he accompanied the 19th Bombardment Group as navigator on a B-17 from Albuquerque, N. Mex., to Clark Field, the Philippine Islands, where he was assigned as squadron intelligence officer and combat crew commander.

            When the Japanese attacked Clark Field, General Carpenter was airborne on a reconnaissance mission and his aircraft was the first to land at Clark Field after the Japanese attack. The following day he flew the first reconnaissance mission to Formosa. After flying on several missions against the Japanese, he went to Bataan where he commanded the ground echelon of the 19th Bombardment Group. After serving with the Infantry for two months he was evacuated to Java by submarine and rejoined his unit. He continued to fly on combat missions until the 19th Bombardment Group returned to the United States, in December 1942, where he served on tours of duty at Eglin Field, Fla.; Headquarters Army Air Forces Bombardment Training Division, Washington, D.C.; and Headquarters Twentieth Air Force in Washington and the Mariana Islands.

            After World War II he was at the Air Command and Staff School for two and one-half years as student and instructor. He next served in the Philippine Islands, first as Commander, 5th Reconnaissance Group, and later as Vice Commander, Thirteenth Air Force. In 1951 he was transferred to headquarters of Air Research and Development Command (now the Air Force Systems Command), Baltimore, Md., where he served in various capacities including Chief of Staff.

            General Carpenter entered the Air War College in July 1953, and in July 1954 he became Vice Commander of Arnold Engineering Development Center at Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. He returned to Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) headquarters in March 1955 as Inspector General and later became Chief of Plans and Programs. In September 1957 he was named Assistant Vice Commander of ARDC and served in this position until March 1959 when he assumed command of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. While there he was awarded the missileman badge. It was during his command of the Flight Test Center that the X-15 made its first flight at Edwards.

            In July 1961 General Carpenter was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he first served as Deputy Director of Plans, then as Director of Plans and in July 1964 he assumed duty as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations (JCS Matters). In August 1965 he became Commander of Air University.

            In July 1968 General Carpenter was again transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force as Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel. In August 1969 he was appointed Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, with additional duty as Senior Air Force Member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations.

            His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star with two oak leaf clusters, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster.

 

PERSONAL FACT SHEET

A.         Personal Data

1.         Born - Aug. 11, 1916, at Starkville, Miss.

2.         Married - June 13, 1939; wife - Dorothy Bigelow Goding; children-

Carol Sue (Mrs. John C. Swenson); Jean McBee and John Wilson, IV.

3.         Hometown - Tullulah, La.

B.         Education

                        1.         Graduate, Stillwater High School, Okla.

                        2.         Attended, Oklahoma A&M College - one year engineering.

                        3.         Attended, Mississippi State College - one year engineering

                        4.         Graduate, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1939.

                        5.         Graduate, Flying Schools, Tulsa, Okla.; Randolph and Kelly Flds., Tex., 1940.

                        6.         Air Command and Staff School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., 1947.

                        7.         Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., 1954.

C.         Service

1.         June 1935.- June 1939 Cadet, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.

                        2.         July 1939 - June 1940 Student, Air Corps-Flying Schools, Tulsa, Okla.; Randolph and Kelly Flds., Tex.

                        3.         July 1940 - Oct 1941 Pilot, navigator, bombardier, 19th Bomb. Gp., March Fld., Calif.

                        4.         Oct 1941 - Nov 1942 Sq. Intel. Off., Cmbt.  Crew Comdr., Sq. Ops. Off., Sq. Ldr., 19th Bomb. Gp., Philippines, Java, Australia and New Guinea.

                        5.         Dec   1942 - Feb 1943 Test Pilot, AAF Proving Ground Ctr., Eglin Fld., Fla.

                        6.         Feb   1943 - Dec 1945 Asst. Ch., Tng. Div.; Dep; Ch., and later Ch., Bomb. Br.; Asat. A-3, Tng., Hq. 20th AF, Special Asst. to Ch., Tng. Div., Hq. AAF, Washington, D.C.

                        7.         Jan 1946 - Sept 1946 Asst. to Ach/Staff, A-3, Bomb Sec. , AF Ops. Div.; Member, Staff and Faculty, Command and Staff School, Maxwell Fld., Ala.

                        8.         Sept 1946 - June 1947 Student, Air Command and Staff School, Maxwell Fld., Ala

                        9.         June 1947 - July 1948 Instructor, Strategic AF and later Instructor, Plans and Special Ops. Sec., AF Div., Air Command and Staff School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

                        10.        July 1948 - July 1950 Air Comptroller, 13th AF; Comdr., 5th Recon. Gp. (VLR); Asst. CofS, CofS, 13th AF and later Vice Comdr., 13th AF, FEAF.

                        11.        Aug 1950 - May 1951 Member, Plans, Ops. Task Force, Hq. ARDC, Washington, D.C.; (TDY) Hq. USAF with Dir. Manpower Organization and DCS, Ops., Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, (16 Nov 50 to 31 Dec 50).

12.  May 1951 - July 1953 Dep. Dir. of P&P; Dep. for Ops.; Asst. CofS, CofS and later Spec. Asat. to Comdr., Hq. ARDC, Baltimore, Md.

                        13.        July 1953 - July 1954 Student, Air War College, AU, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

                        14.        July 1954 - Mar 1955 Vice Comdr., Arnold Engineering Development Center, ARDC, Tullahoma AFS, Tenn.

                        15.        Mar 1955 - Jan 1958 Inspector Gen.; Ch., Plans and Programs Ofc.; Asst. Vice Comdr. and Dir. of Plans and Programming, Hq. ARDC, Baltimore, Md.

16.        Jan 1958 - Mar 1959 Asst. Vice Comdr. and Dir. of P&P, Hq. ARDC, Andrews AFB, Md.

17.        Mar 1959 - July 1961 Comdr., AF Flight Test Ctr., Edwards-AFB, Calif.

18.        July 1961 - Aug 1962 Dep.  Dir. of Plans, Hq.  USAF, Washington, D.C.

                        19.        Aug 1962 - June 196.4 Dir.. of Plans, Hq.  USAF, Washington, D.C.

                        20.        July 1964 - Aug 1965 Asst.  Dep.  CofS, P&O for JCS, Washington, D.C.

21.        Aug 1965 - July 1968 Comdr., Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

                        22.        Aug 1968 - July 1969 Dep.  CofS, Pers., Hq USAF, Washington, D.C.

                        23.        Aug 1969 - Present  Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., with additional duty as Senior Air Force Member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations.

D.         Decorations and Service Awards

Distinguished Service Medal

American Campaign Medal

Silver Star w/2 oak leaf clusters

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/7 service stars

Legion of Merit w/2 oak leaf clusters

World War II Victory Medal

Distinguished Flying Cross w/2 oak leaf clusters

Philippine Defense Ribbon w/l service star

Air Medal w/l oak leaf cluster

Philippine Republic Presidential Citation

Distinguished Unit Emblem w/4 oak leaf clusters

National Defense Service Medal w/l service star

American Defense Service Medal w/l service star

Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon w/6 oak leaf clusters

            E.         Effective Dates of Promotions

Grade

Temporary

Permanent

2d Lt

 

June 12, 1939

1st Lt

Oct  2, 1940

June 12, 1942

Capt

July 18, 1942

 

Maj

Jan 26, 1943

 

Lt Col

June 23, 1943

July 2, 1948

Col

Jan 23, 1945

July 23, 1953

Brig Gen

Aug 5, 1957

Mar 7, 1961

Maj Gen

Mar 7, 1961

Feb 28, 1963

Lt Gen

Aug 1, 1965

 

(Date of Rank June 24, 1965)