Neil D . Van Sickle Neil David Van Sickle ( born July 8 , 1915 ) is a retired American Air Force major general who was the deputy inspector general at Headquarters , United States Air Force , Washington , D . C . The inspector general is responsible for evaluating command mission accomplishment , the effectiveness of management , utilization of Air Force personnel and resources , and for determining the status of combat readiness within the Air Force . Additionally , he is responsible for policies and procedures concerning Air Force - wide safety programs , special investigations , counterintelligence activities and Air Force security police activities . Van Sickle was born in Minot , North Dakota , in 1915 . His military career began in 1932 when he enlisted in the North Dakota National Guard . Two years later he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point . He graduated from USMA on June 14 , 1938 , and was commissioned a second lieutenant of cavalry , assigned to the Fourth Cavalry Regiment at Fort Meade , South Dakota . In December 1940 , he was transferred to the Army Air Corps after completing flying school at Kelly Field , Texas . The general served with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in the North Atlantic area early in World War II as a squadron commander and in various staff positions . In 1944 he served on the staff of the 73rd Wing on Saipan and flew 16 combat missions against Japan . At the end of the war he was deputy commander of the 497th Bombardment Group . He served successively in diplomatic , arctic , congressional liaison and high - level budget planning , operational and training activities . These included assignments as assistant secretary of the U . S . delegation of the United Nations Military Staff Committee ; director of operations , Yukon Air Division ; commander , Ladd Air Force Base , Alaska ; and chief of aircraft programming in Headquarters U . S . Air Force . From 1955 to 1957 he commanded the 28th Bombardment Wing ( Strategic Air Command ) at Ellsworth Air Force Base , South Dakota . In April 1957 , Van Sickle was assigned to the United States - Taiwan Defense Command as assistant chief of staff for operations , promoted to brigadier general , and named chief of staff in October 1958 . Generaliasimo Chiang Kai - shek personally awarded him the Order of the Cloud and Banner for his service during the 1958 Taiwan Straits crisis . His next assignment was to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii , where he served as assistant chief of staff for operations until 1961 . He was then assigned to Mather Air Force Base , California , as commander of the 3535th Navigator Training Wing . In August 1963 , he moved to Headquarters Air Training Command , Randolph Air Force Base , Texas , as deputy chief of staff , flying training and was promoted to the grade of major general in June 1964 . On January 15 , 1965 , he assumed command of the U . S . Air Force Recruiting Service , with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base . In November 1969 he was assigned to Air Force Headquarters in Washington , D . C . , as Air Force deputy inspector general . The general , a command pilot , rated navigator and radar observer , has logged more than 7 , 000 hours ' military flying in all types of aircraft . He graduated in 1949 from the Armed Forces Staff College , and in 1954 from the Air War College . He is well known in civil and military aviation for his widely read textbook " Modern Airmanship , " which deals comprehensively with flying in modern aviation . First published in 1957 , a third edition appeared in June 1966 . He is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics . He retired August 1 , 1968 . Van Sickle ' s decorations include the Legion of Merit , Bronze Star Medal , Air Medal with two oak leaf cluster s and the Air Force Commendation Medal .