Billy M . Minter Billy Martin Minter ( July 13 , 1926 – June 6 , 2005 ) was a former General and former deputy commander in chief , United States Air Forces in Europe , and commander of the Allied Air Forces Central Europe , with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base , Germany . Biography . Minter was born in Oklahoma City in 1926 , and graduated from high school at Norman , Oklahoma in 1944 . After service in World War II , Minter returned to the University of Oklahoma Norman . In October 1948 he entered the U . S . Air Force as an aviation cadet and in September 1949 received his commission as a second lieutenant and his pilot wings . His first assignment was to the Air Training Command as a flying instructor . From November 1949 to November 1950 , he was a basic flying instructor in T - 6 Texan s at Randolph Air Force Base , Texas . He then served as an advanced flying instructor in the F - 51 Mustang program at Craig Air Force Base , Alabama , until May 1952 . After F - 51 combat crew training at Luke Air Force Base , Arizona , in the summer of 1952 , Minter reported to the 40th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , 35th Fighter Group , at Johnson Air Base , Japan . The 40th was the last operational Air Force unit equipped with F - 51s . During three years with this squadron , he flew F - 51s , F - 80 Shooting Star s and F - 86 Sabre s . In September 1955 he was assigned to the 438th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , Air Defense Command , Kincheloe Air Force Base , Michigan , where he served as flight commander flying F - 89 Scorpion s . He also flew F - 102 Delta Dagger and F - 106 Delta Dart interceptors , and served as the group operations officer for the 507th Fighter Group . Upon completing the Air Command and Staff College in August 1961 , Minter reported to the 496th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , Hahn Air Base , Germany . During three years at Hahn , he flew F - 102 Delta Dart s and served as squadron operations officer and chief of maintenance . Later he served as operations staff officer in the 86th Air Division ' s Directorate of Operations at Ramstein Air Base . From December 1965 to August 1967 , Minter served as operations officer and then commander of the 71st Fighter - Interceptor Squadron at Selfridge Air Force Base , Michigan He later served with the 94th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . After graduating with distinction from the Air War College in June 1968 , he completed F - 105 Thunderchief combat crew training with the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base , Kansas . He next reported to the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand , in January 1969 . After five months as chief , combat operations , and assistant deputy commander for operations , Minter assumed command of the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron . During his Southeast Asia tour of duty , he flew 106 combat missions in F - 105 Thunderchief s . Returning to the United States in October 1969 , he was assigned to the Air Force Logistics Command at the Sacramento Air Materiel Area ( later redesignated Sacramento Air Logistics Center ) , McClellan Air Force Base , California . Following a year as chief , Quality Control Division , Directorate of Maintenance , he was assigned to the Directorate of Materiel Management . Minter attended the Defense Weapons System Management Course at the Air Force Institute of Technology , Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio , in January 1971 and in September 1971 was appointed chief of the F - 111 Aardvark System Management Division at McClellan . He returned to Wright - Patterson in April 1973 and became the inspector general for the Air Force Logistics Command . In May 1974 Minter was named the deputy director of logistics ( J - 4 ) , United States European Command , with headquarters at Stuttgart , Germany and served in that capacity until July 1975 . Minter then became deputy chief of staff for logistics at United States Air Forces in Europe headquarters at Ramstein Air Base . Assigned to Headquarters United States Air Force , Washington D . C . , in July 1978 , he initially served as assistant deputy chief of staff , logistics and engineering , and in May 1979 he become deputy chief of staff for logistics and engineering . He assumed his present command in June 1982 . He was promoted to general July 1 , 1982 . He retired on October 31 , 1984 and died on June 6 , 2005 . He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on June 28 .