Department of the United States Air Force LogoBiography
                  United States Air Force110329-F-JZ022-026.JPG
            MAJOR GENERAL GUY E. HAIRSTON JR.Major General Guy E. Hairston Jr., is the deputy assistant secretary of defense, public affairs, Washington, D.C.General Hairston was born in 1925, in New Orleans, La. After attending Washington and Lee University for one year, he entered the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his pilot wings upon graduation in June 1946. General Hairston is a graduate of the Air Force Squadron Officer School, the Army Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He also has a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.After P-47 and P-51 transition training at Williams Field, Ariz., General Hairston was assigned to the P-80-equipped 1st Fighter Group at March Field, Calif., in October 1946, and moved to Ladd Field, Alaska, with the 94th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Group in October 1947.In July 1948 General Hairston was transferred to the 49th Fighter Group at Misawa Air Base, Japan. During the early days of the Korean War, he flew with the 49th Group from Ashiya and Itazuke in Japan and Taegu, Korea. In November 1950, on his 106th mission, General Hairston was wounded by gunfire while attacking a bridge over the Yalu River, North Korea, and was hospitalized in Japan and the United States.From May 1951 to December 1952, General Hairston was assigned as an F-86 pilot with the 97th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the Air Defense Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. While in this assignment, he attended the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and in January 1953 was transferred to the Operations and Training Division, Headquarters Eastern Air Defense Force, Stewart Air Force Base, N.Y.General Hairston was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., from December 1953 to July 1957, where he served in the Fighter Branch, Tactical Requirements Division, in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Development. He then attended the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., graduating in June 1958.In July 1958 General Hairston was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy at Lowry Air Force Base, Colo., as assistant director, Plans and Programs, and moved with the academy to Colorado Springs. He served as air officer commanding, 1lth Cadet Squadron from August 1959 until June 1961.In September 1961 General Hairston entered the Harvard Graduate School of Business and graduated with a master's degree in June 1963. From July 1963 through June 1965, he was assigned to Lindsey Air Station, Germany, in the War Plans Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe. From August 1965 through July 1968, General Hairston served as military assistant, Tactical Programs Division, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis. He entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in August 1968 and graduated in June 1969.After a period of duty with the F-4-equipped 15th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., General Hairston went to the Republic of Vietnam in October 1969. Initially assigned as deputy commander, General Hairston became commander of the 504th Tactical Air Support Group in February 1970. The 504th included the 0-1, 0-2, and OV-10-equipped Air Force forward air control units operating in Southeast Asia. General Hairston moved with the group headquarters from Bien Hoa to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base in April 1970.From December 1970 to June 1972, General Hairston commanded the Air Training Command's 3646th Pilot Training Wing at Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Texas. In June 1972 he became commander of the Air Force Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.In August 1973 General Hairston was assigned as deputy director of information, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C., and he became director of information in June 1974.General Hairston assumed his present position as the deputy assistant secretary of defense, public affairs, in November 1975.A command pilot, General Hairston's military decorations and awards include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.He was promoted to the grade of major general effective Sept. 1, 1974, with date of rank May 1, 1972.(Current as of December 1975)Department of the Air Force Logo