Freddie L . Poston Freddie Lee Poston ( born September 16 , 1925 ) was an American lieutenant general who was chief of staff , United States Pacific Command , Camp H . M . Smith , Hawaii . Poston is responsible to the commander in chief Pacific for management of key military staff activities requiring coordinated Air Force , Navy , Army and Marine Corps operations throughout the Pacific Command . The Pacific Command is the United States ' largest unified command , encompassing some 100 million square miles from the West Coast of the Americas to the east coast of Africa and from the arctic to the Antarctic . Poston was born in 1925 , in Jacksonville , Florida . He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base , Alabama , in 1962 and the National War College , Fort Lesley J . McNair , Washington , D . C . , in 1970 . His military service began in February 1943 when he enlisted in the U . S . Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet . He received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in March 1945 . He then attended combat crew fighter and gunnery training at Victoria , Texas , until his release from active duty in October 1945 . He was recalled to active duty in October 1950 , and in March 1951 was sent to Korea where he flew 100 combat missions with the 8th Fighter - Bomber Wing . He joined the 31st Fighter Wing at Turner Air Force Base , Georgia , in 1952 and served as a pilot and squadron operations officer . During that tour of duty he participated in two overseas deployments that pioneered the use of in - flight refueling by tanker aircraft to facilitate long - range jet fighter movements . In August 1958 Poston went to Germany where he served in the Directorate of Flight Safety at Headquarters U . S . Air Forces in Europe and later at Headquarters Seventeenth Air Force at Ramstein Air Base as director of flight safety . He returned to the United States in September 1961 to attend the Air Command and Staff College . From there he was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base , Va . , as a staff officer in the Directorate of Operations . In July 1965 Poston returned to the 31st Fighter Wing which had moved to Homestead Air Force Base , Fla . His duty assignment was commander of the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron and , in that capacity , he went with the wing to Tuy Hoa Air Base , Republic of Vietnam , in December 1966 . During his year there he flew 225 combat missions in F - 100 fighters . Poston was assigned to the Directorate of Operations , Headquarters , United States Air Force , Washington , D . C . , in December 1967 as chief of the Weapons Systems Branch in the Tactical Division . He entered the National War College in August 1969 . In July 1970 Poston was assigned to Luke Air Force Base , Arizona , as director of operations for the 58th Tactical Fighter Wing and then became commander of the 57th Tactical Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis Air Force Base , Nev . , in February 1971 . He transferred to the U . S . Strike Command at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida , in June 1972 . He served as deputy director of operations and participated in many significant actions associated with development of joint tactics , techniques and procedures for worldwide deployment and use of Army and Air Force general purpose forces . He also directed the deployment and use of joint forces during field training exercises throughout the United States . In September 1974 Poston was appointed deputy chief of staff , plans and operations , Headquarters Pacific Air Forces , Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii . He became deputy chief of staff , operations and intelligence , in July 1975 . In these capacities he directed all Air Force operations in the Pacific during a critical period that included the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and the " Mayaguez " incident . In addition he played a major role in improving Air Force capability to respond to a Korean contingency and was the catalyst in developing the Pacific Air Forces ongoing training program at Clark Air Base , Philippines . He remained at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces until he was named commander of Thirteenth Air Force , Clark Air Base , in October 1976 . He assumed his current duties in May 1979 . His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal , Silver Star , Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster , Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster , Bronze Star Medal , Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters . Poston was promoted to lieutenant general June 1 , 1979 , with the same date of rank . He retired August 1 , 1981 .