Department of the United States Air Force LogoBiography
                  United States Air ForceMaj. Gen. Hilding L. Jacobson, Jr
            MAJOR GENERAL HILDING L. JACOBSON JR.Major General Hilding L. Jacobson Jr., is commander of the 3d Air Division, Strategic Air Command, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. He is responsible for all Strategic Air Command operations in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia.

General Jacobson was born in 1920, in Omaha, Neb. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Nebraska and his commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1941; a master's degree in international relations from The George Washington University in 1964; and graduated from the U.S. Naval War College in 1964 and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1970.

He entered active military service in June 1941 as an infantry platoon leader at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and later was a transportation officer at Camp Forrest, Tenn. In June 1942 he began pilot training and graduated at Ellington Field, Texas, in February 1943. After B-25 transition training, General Jacobson was assigned as a pilot to the 501st Bombardment Squadron in New Guinea and later was operations officer. He flew 57 combat missions in the Pacific area during World War II. He returned to the United States in April 1945 and served with the Air Transport Command until released from active duty in November 1945.

General Jacobson returned to active duty in March 1951 as a B-36 pilot and operations officer with the 92d Bombardment Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

In August 1953 he entered navigation training and in June 1954 was assigned to Schilling Air Force Base, Kan., as a B-47 aircraft commander in the 40th Bombardment Wing and later became commander of the 44th Bombardment Squadron. In November 1957 he assumed command of the 40th Armament and Electronics Maintenance Squadron.

General Jacobson was transferred in May 1958 to 8th Air Force at Westover Air Force Base, Mass., where he became director of safety. His next assignment was in September 1961 as deputy commander for operations for the 306th Bombardment Wing at McCoy Air Force Base, Fla. He was a student at the U.S. Naval War College at Newport, R.I., from August 1963 to July 1964. After graduation, he returned to Westover Air Force Base as director of operations for the 57th Air Division.

In July 1965 General Jacobson was transferred to Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., where he headed the Operations Branch in the Office of the Inspector General. From April 1967 to April 1968, he was chief of the advanced echelon, SAC, at Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam, where he flew 32 combat missions in B-52, F-100, EB-66, KC-135, and UH-1 aircraft. He returned to the United States in May 1968 as commander of the 416th Bombardment Wing, SAC, at Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y.

General Jacobson was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in April 1969 and was assigned to the Directorate of Operational Requirements and Development Plans in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development. He served first as deputy director for strategic forces, and in February 1971 became chief of the Development Plans and Analysis Group. In July 1971 he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as chief, Strategic Operations Division in the Directorate of Operations, J-3.

In May 1972 General Jacobson returned to SAC Headquarters as director of command control, in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. He was transferred in May 1973 to Thailand as Assistant Chief of Staff, J-2 (Intelligence), U.S. Support Activities Group, with headquarters at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base.

In October 1974 General Jacobson was reassigned to Washington, D.C., for duty as deputy director, Defense Mapping Agency. He became commander of the 3d Air Division on Aug. 17, 1976.

He is a command pilot. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and the Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem.

General Jacobson's hometown is Omaha, Neb.

He was promoted to the grade of major general Aug. 1, 1974, with date of rank March 1, 1972.

(Current as of October 1976)Department of the Air Force Logo