Gabriel P . Disosway General Gabriel Poillon Disosway ( June 11 , 1910 – February 23 , 2001 ) was a noted United States Air Force four - star general and served as commander of the Tactical Air Command . A native of Pomona , California , Disosway graduated from Wichita Falls High School in Wichita Falls , Texas in 1927 and then attended Oklahoma University . He entered the United States Military Academy in July 1929 , graduated and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in June 1933 . He entered Primary Flying School at Randolph Field , Texas , and upon completion of the course , transferred to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field , Texas , from which he graduated in October 1934 . He transferred from the Field Artillery to the Air Corps in January 1935 . Disosway ' s first assignments were with the 71st Service and 55th Pursuit Squadrons at Barksdale Field , Louisiana . He was transferred to Randolph Field as a primary flying instructor in March 1938 and remained there until January 1942 , serving as an instructor and flight and stage commander . He then went to Lake Charles Field , Louisiana , as director of flying , and in June 1942 , returned to Randolph as director of training . He was appointed commander of Bryan Army Air Base , Texas , in January 1943 . In April 1943 , General Disosway went to Panama as commander of the 37th Fighter Group . He later served as air inspector and deputy commander of the 26th Fighter Command in Panama and trained the First Brazilian Fighter Group which went to Italy . In September 1944 he was assigned as commander of Ephrata Army Air Base , Washington . In January 1945 , General Disosway was transferred to China as operations officer of the 312th Fighter Wing . He assumed command of the 311th Fighter Group in May 1945 , and in July of the same year took command of the 312th Fighter Wing . In August he was named Army Air Force Liaison Officer with the Third Amphibious - Marine Corps in Tientsin , China . General Disosway returned to the United States in April 1946 , to become assistant commander of Barksdale Field . He entered the Air War College at Maxwell Field , Alabama in 1947 . Upon graduation , he was appointed chief of the Training Division in the Directorate of Training and Requirements at Headquarters U . S . Air Force , Washington , D . C . In February 1951 , he became director of training in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel , at Headquarters U . S . Air Force . He next was named commander of Air Training Command ' s Flying Training Air Force in September 1952 , with headquarters at Waco , Texas . After nearly five years in this position , he assumed command of the 12th Air Force , with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base . In January 1958 , he became deputy commander , U . S . Air Forces in Europe , Advanced Operations Unit at Ramstein , becoming commander of the 17th Air Force , also at Ramstein , in November 1959 . Returning to the United States during June 1960 , General Disosway was assigned duty as senior Air Force member , Military Studies and Liaison Division , Weapons Systems Evaluation Group , Office of the Secretary of Defense ( Research and Engineering ) . In mid - 1961 he was promoted to lieutenant general and assigned as vice commander , Tactical Air Command . General Disosway became deputy chief of staff , operations , Headquarters U . S . Air Force , in November 1962 . This position was redesignated as deputy chief of staff , programs and requirements in February 1963 . In August 1963 , he assumed command of the U . S . Air Forces in Europe , Wiesbaden , Germany . Returning to the United States in July 1965 he assumed command of the Tactical Air Command , Langley Air Force Base , Virginia . He retired from the Air Force on August 1 , 1968 , and died on February 23 , 2001 . Awards and decorations . A command pilot , Disosway received numerous awards and decorations including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters , Bronze Star , Air Medal , Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner , Chinese Order of Yun Hui and Brazilian Southern Cross .