Chuck Horner Charles Albert Horner ( born October 19 , 1936 ) is a retired USAF general . He was born in Davenport , Iowa and attended the University of Iowa , as part of the Air Force ROTC program . On June 13 , 1958 , Horner was commissioned into the Air Force Reserve . During the Vietnam War , he flew in combat as a Wild Weasel pilot and received the Silver Star . During Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm , he commanded the American aerial forces , as well as those of the American allies . During the Desert Shield phase of the conflict , Horner briefly served as Commander - in - Chief — Forward of U . S . Central Command ; while General Schwarzkopf was still in the United States . He currently serves on the board of directors for the US Institute of Peace . Military biography . General Charles A . Horner was Commander in Chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U . S . Space Command ; and Commander of Air Force Space Command , Peterson Air Force Base , Colorado from 1992 - 1994 . He was responsible for the aerospace defense of the United States and Canada , and the exploitation and control of space for national purposes through a far - flung network of satellites and ground stations throughout the world . General Horner , an Iowa native , entered the Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program . He was commissioned in the Air Force Reserve on June 13 , 1958 , just before his graduation from the University of Iowa and was awarded pilot wings in November 1959 and was resworn with a regular Air Force commission in 1962 . He has commanded a tactical training wing , a fighter wing , two air divisions and a numbered Air Force . While Commander of 9th Air Force , he also commanded U . S . Central Command Air Forces , in command of all U . S . and allied air assets during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . General Horner is a command pilot with more than 5 , 300 flying hours in a variety of fighter aircraft . During the Vietnam War he flew 41 combat missions over North Vietnam in the F - 105 during a tour . He later flew more than 70 combat missions as an F - 105 Wild Weasel pilot , deliberately drawing anti - aircraft fire to identify and destroy North Vietnamese defenses . Other work . He co - wrote " [ [ Every Man a Tiger ] ] " with Tom Clancy . In 2004 , Horner served on a Pentagon team that looked into detainee abuse . The U . S . Air Force awards a General Charles A . Horner " Tiger Award " to one officer and one enlisted individual assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force annually ( . pdf ) . Recipients of the prestigious " Tiger Award " demonstrate the highest degree of professionalism , leadership , integrity , dedication , and courage in the performance of their duties and conduct of their lives . He currently resides in [ [ Lake Lorraine , Florida ] ] , with a Shalimar , Florida address . General Horner has been decorated with Canada ' s [ [ Meritorious Service Decoration ( Canada ) | Meritorious Service Cross ] ] . Also , he has been honored by France , Pakistan and the sovereign states of Bahrain , Kuwait , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates . References . [ [ Category : 1936 births ] ] [ [ Category : Living people ] ] [ [ Category : People from Davenport , Iowa ] ] [ [ Category : United States Air Force generals ] ] [ [ Category : American military personnel of the Vietnam War ] ] [ [ Category : American military personnel of the Gulf War ] ] [ [ Category : Military leaders of the Gulf War ] ] [ [ Category : College of William & Mary alumni ] ] [ [ Category : Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross ( United States ) ] ] [ [ Category : Recipients of the Legion of Merit ] ] [ [ Category : Recipients of the Silver Star ] ] [ [ Category : Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal ( United States ) ] ] [ [ Category : People from Florida ] ] [ [ Category : People from Fort Walton Beach , Florida ] ] [ [ Category : Recipients of the Air Medal ] ] [ [ Category : Recipients of the Order of the Sword ( United States ) ] ]