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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      090916-F-JZ029-436.JPGEngage On
        
        090916-F-JZ029-436.JPGLIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES W. CARSON JR.Lieutenant General Charles William Carson Jr., is commander of the Twelfth Air Force, TAC, with headquarters at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. 

General Carson was born in Coalgate, Okla., in 1921. He attended Marion Military Institute, Ala., in 1939, and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in June 1943, with a bachelor of science degree and commission as second lieutenant. He completed pilot training in August 1943. 

During World War II, he served as a pilot and flight commander with the 391st Bombardment Group at Ft. Knox, Ky., and in England. He took part in 67 combat missions in B-26 aircraft accumulating 216 flying hours in the European Theater of Operations. He returned to the United States in September 1944 and served as a tactical officer with the 2519th Army Air Forces Unit, Fort Worth, Texas. 

From June 1945 until September 1947, he was assigned as deputy assistant chief of staff and assistant chief of staff, A-3 (Operations and Training), for Headquarters Air Training Command at Fort Worth, Texas, and later at Barksdale Field, La. He attended the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, from September 1947 to September 1949, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree equivalent in industrial engineering. 

General Carson was transferred to Pepperrell Air Force Base, Newfoundland, in October 1949 and served as purchasing and contracting officer for the 6600th Air Depot Wing and later as commandant of troops of the 6600th Air Base Group. 

In September 1951 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force where he served as plans officer in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. In September 1953 he was selected as Air Force aide to Admiral Arthur Radford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He entered combat crew training in the F-86D aircraft in September 1955. 

General Carson went to McChord Air Force Base, Wash., in February 1956, where he served successively as assistant deputy for operations, 25th Air Division; executive officer, 325th Fighter Group; commander, 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron; and commander, 325th Fighter Group. 

In July 1958 General Carson returned to Europe as commander of the 440th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, and later of the 525th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe. In July 1960 he became director of defense operations, Seventeenth Air Force, USAFE. 

He was reassigned in May 1961 to Headquarters U.S. Air Force where he served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel as chief, General Officers Branch, and in March 1965 assumed duties as assistant for general officer matters. In April 1966 he was transferred to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., as assistant to the commander, Ninth Air Force, and in June 1966 assumed the duties as commander, 833d Air Division, Tactical Air Command. 

In April 1968 General Carson was assigned as chief, Air Force Advisory Group, U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam. During this assignment, he participated in 85 missions in various Republic of Vietnam Air Force and U.S. Air Force aircraft. 

In August 1969 General Carson went to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, as commander, U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service; and in April 1970, he became deputy chief of staff for technical training, Headquarters Air Training Command. He went to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in July 1971 as commander of the Air Force Military Training Center. 

He assumed duties as commander, Alaskan Air Command, in June 1973. General Carson was assigned as commander, Twelfth Air Force, Tactical Air Command, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, in March 1974. 

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters, and several Republic of Vietnam awards. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. 

He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general effective Sept. 1, 1974, with date of rank Aug. 28, 1974. 

(Current as of Oct. 15, 1974)
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