John L . Piotrowski General John Louis Piotrowski ( born February 17 , 1934 ) is a retired United States Air Force four - star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff , U . S . Air Force ( VCSAF ) , from 1985 to 1987 ; and Commander in Chief , North American Aerospace Defense Command / Commander in Chief , U . S . Space Command ( CINCNORAD / USCINCSPACE ) , from 1987 to 1990 . Piotrowski was born in 1934 , in Detroit and graduated from Henry Ford Trade School in Dearborn , Michigan , in 1951 . He attended Arizona State University and Florida State University , and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree . He did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California and Auburn University , and attended the program for management development at Harvard University . He completed Squadron Officer School in 1956 , Air Command and Staff College in 1965 , Armed Forces Staff College in 1968 and the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare , Royal Air Force Station Manby , England , in 1971 . He enlisted in the U . S . Air Force in September 1952 . After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base , Texas , he was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base , Mississippi , as a student in basic electronics and ground radar . In July 1953 Piotrowski transferred to Harlingen Air Force Base , Texas , for navigator and observer training in the aviation cadet program . After graduating as a distinguished graduate , he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force in August 1954 . He then returned to Keesler Air Force Base for advanced training in electronic countermeasures . In January 1955 he received the electronic warfare rating and was assigned to the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in South Korea and Japan as an electronic warfare officer and RB - 26 navigator . Piotrowski returned to the United States in May 1957 for pilot training at Marana Air Base , Arizona ; Bainbridge Air Base , Georgia ; and Bryan Air Force Base , Texas . He then attended F - 86F advanced gunnery training at Williams Air Force Base , Arizona . After graduation he was assigned as armament and electronics maintenance officer at Williams and , later , at Luke Air Force Base , Arizona . In May 1961 he moved to Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field 9 , Florida , and joined the initial cadre of Project Jungle Jim , which became the 1st Air Commando Wing . While assigned to Eglin , he served in Southeast Asia , from November 1961 to May 1963 , as a munitions maintenance officer , and T - 28 and B - 26 combat aircrew member . In August 1965 Piotrowski joined the Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada , and served as an F - 4C instructor pilot , chief of academics , an academic instructor and project officer for the Air Force operational test and evaluation of the Walleye missile program . Upon completion of testing in the United States , he introduced the Walleye into combat with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Southeast Asia . After graduation from the Armed Forces Staff College in August 1968 , he was assigned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force , Washington , D . C . , as an action officer under the deputy director of plans for force development . From December 1970 to July 1971 he attended the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare . He was then assigned to Bitburg Air Base , West Germany , as assistant and , subsequently , deputy commander for operations , 36th Tactical Fighter Wing . In January 1972 he took command of the 40th Tactical Group , Aviano Air Base , Italy . In April 1974 Piotrowski became chief of the Air Force Six - Man Group , located at Maxwell Air Force Base , directly responsible to the chief of staff . He became vice commander of Keesler Technical Training Center , Keesler Air Force Base , in March 1975 . He took command of the reactivated 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base , Oklahoma , in July 1976 and was instrumental in establishing the E - 3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft as an operational Air Force weapon system . While Congress debated the E - 3 future ( due to huge cost over - runs ) , General Piotrowski took the planes on continuous road shows . Especially Europe , and Korea . He filled the planes with observers who would benefit , or could appreciate the capability to project tactical forces anywhere in the world , in less than 24 hours . He was not only an effective leader , he was very personable and warm hearted . Before Piotrowski , the E - 3 was going to be a system that would orbit America in defense , and after he arrived he changed the system to deploy to where the war was , and bring tankers and fighters along . A true tactical mission , with troops who could live out of an A - 3 bag for 200 days a year . Piotrowski was named deputy commander for air defense , Tactical Air Command , Peterson Air Force Base , in September 1979 . In April 1981 he became Tactical Air Command ' s deputy chief of staff for operations at Langley Air Force Base , Virginia , and in August 1982 was assigned as the command ' s vice commander . He served as commander of 9th Air Force , Shaw Air Force Base , South Carolina , from October 1982 to July 1985 , when he became vice chief of staff of the Air Force , Washington , D . C . He assumed command of NORAD in February 1987 . Piotrowski was a command pilot with more than 5 , 000 flying hours , including 100 combat missions and 210 combat flying hours . His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal , Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , Legion of Merit , Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters , Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters , Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster , Presidential Unit Citation and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters . He received the Eugene M . Zuckert Management Award for 1979 .