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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      121102-F-JZ008-184.JPGEngage On
        
        121102-F-JZ008-184.JPGBRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM H. LAWSONBrigadier General William H. Lawson was the Tenth Air Force Director of Operations, Air Force Reserve Command, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas.
The general was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He entered the Air Force in 1965 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati and was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He commanded one reserve fighter group and three reserve fighter wings. Air Force reservists trained and assigned under his command were activated during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm and he led four fighter squadron deployments for Deny Flight. A command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours, he flew 167 combat missions in Southeast Asia, including 40 sorties over Hanoi, North Vietnam, and combat and support sorties over Bosnia.**EDUCATION**
1965 Bachelor of Arts degree, Foreign Affairs, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 
1973 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1974 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1978 Masters of Liberal Arts, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 
1982 Air War College, by seminar **ASSIGNMENTS**
1. October 1965 - November 1966, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. November 1966 - September 1967, student, F-4 replacement training unit, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
3. September 1967 - September 1968, F-4 pilot and F-4 aircraft commander, 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
4. October 1968 - November 1970, F-4 aircraft commander, 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Bentwaters, United Kingdom
5. November 1970 - April October 1972, F-100 pilot, 166th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard, Lockbourne AFB, Ohio 
6. April 1972 - June 1982, F-105D instructor pilot, scheduling officer, training officer, weapons and tactics officer and operations officer, 457th Tactical Fighter Squadron; F-4D instructor pilot, wing director of operations, 301st Tactical Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
7. June 1982 - August 1983, F4D deputy commander of operations, then air commander, 482nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Homestead AFB, Fla.
8. August 1983 - June 1987, F4D commander, 906th Tactical fighter Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. June 1987 - July 1994, F4D, F4E, F16C commander, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell Air Reserve Base, Texas
10. July 1994 - May 1998, A10, B52H, commander, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB, La. 
11. May 1998 - December 1998, A10, director of operations, 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas**FLIGHT INFORMATION**
Rating: Command pilot
Flight Hours: More than 6,000 fighter hours including over 300 combat hours over Southeast Asia and Bosnia- Herzegovina
Aircraft Flown: F-4C/D/E, F100C/D/F, F-105B/D/F, F-16C/D, A-10A, B-52H **MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters 
Meritorious Service Medal 
Air Medal with twelve oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars 
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal **EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION**
Second Lieutenant June 13, 1965 
First Lieutenant April 13, 1967
Captain Oct. 13, 1968
Major May 21, 1976
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 14, 1981
Colonel Aug. 1, 1985
Brigadier General Nov. 30, 1990
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