Notable Clinton Countians: Lieutenant General James F. Record

Lieutenant General James F. Record is commander, 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. The command is comprised of eight active-duty wings in the Western and Midwestern United States and Panama with more than 450 aircraft and 35,000 active-duty military and civilian personnel. He also ensures the operational readiness of 12th Air Force-gained units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, featuring an additional 21,000 people and more than 360 aircraft. His duties also involve overseeing U.S. Air Force assets provided to U.S. Southern Command in Central and South America as commander of the air component to that unified command. He also serves as the Air Force commander of Component Task Force 224, the Battle Management arm of U.S. Strategic Command.

The general was born and raised in Indiana. He entered the Air Force in 1961, following graduation from Purdue University and commissioning through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has commanded three fighter wings, an air division, served as the first deputy commander of Joint Task Force Middle East operating in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, and served as commander of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia. General Record also served in the Pentagon, and has held high level joint duty positions with U.S. Central Command, United Nations Command and the Republic of Korea and United States Combined Forces Command. He is a command pilot, having flown more than 6,000 hours, principally in fighter aircraft. He flew 616 combat missions in Southeast Asia.

EDUCATION
1961 Bachelor’s degree in animal science, Purdue University, Ind.
1964 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1971 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1972 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1972 Master’s degree in public administration, Auburn University, Ala.
1975 Research associate, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin
1977 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1961 – December 1962, student, pilot training, 3640th Pilot Training Wing, Laredo Air Force Base, Texas
2. January 1963 – November 1968, T-33 and T-38 instructor pilot, 3640th Pilot Training Squadron, Laredo Air Force Base, Texas
3. March 1967 – May 1968, 0-1 and 0-2 forward air controller, Chu Lai, Hue, Quang Tri, and Khe Sahn Air Base, South Vietnam
4. May 1968 – January 1969, F-100 instructor pilot, 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam
5. January 1969 – August 1971, flight and academic instructor, U.S. Air Force Instrument Instructor Pilot Training, 3511th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
6. August 1971 – August 1972, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
7. August 1972 – May 1975, air operations officer, fighter division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
8. June 1975 – June 1976, research associate, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin
9. August 1976 – June 1977, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
10. June 1977 – November 1979, chief of safety; later, combat support group deputy commander; later, combat support group commander, 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
11. March 1980 – March 1982, assistant deputy commander for operations; later, deputy commander for operations, 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, England Air Force Base, La.
12. March 1982 – May 1983, vice commander; later, commander, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
13. May 1983 – May 1984, commander, 58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
14. May 1984 – October 1985, commander, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah
15. October 1985 – September 1987, commander, 833rd Air Division, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
16. September 1987 – March 1988, deputy commander, Joint Task Force Middle East (Afloat), Persian Gulf-North Arabian Sea
17. March 1988 – June 1990, director of operations, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
18. June 1990 – June 1992, chief of staff, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea
19. June 1992 – June 1995, vice commander, 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. (While in that position, he took command of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia from November 1992 until March 1993)
20. June 1995 – present, commander, 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 6,000
Aircraft flown: A-7, A-10, F-4, F-15, F-16, F-100, O-1, O-2, T-33, T-38 and T-39

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 27 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with six service stars
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun 3, 1961
First Lieutenant May 15, 1963
Captain May 15, 1966
Major Mar 1, 1971
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1975
Colonel Jan 1, 1980
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1985
Major General Aug 1, 1988 Lieutenant General James F. Record
Lieutenant General Oct 31, 1995

Retired February 01,1997

Died December 22, 2009