George G . Loving , Jr . George G . Loving Jr . ( born August 7 , 1923 ) is a retired American Air Force lieutenant general who was commander , U . S . Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force , with headquarters at Yokota Air Base , Japan . As commander , U . S . Forces Japan , he was the senior U . S . military representative in Japan . As commander , Fifth Air Force , he commands U . S . air units in Japan and the Republic of Korea . Biography . Loving was born in Roanoke , Virginia , in 1923 , graduated from E . C . Glass High School in Lynchburg , Va . , and attended Lynchburg College . He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and holds a master ' s degree from The George Washington University . During the academic year 1969 - 70 , he was a research associate with the Council on Foreign Relations . He entered military service in March 1942 as an aviation cadet and graduated from flying school in 1943 with a commission as second lieutenant and his pilot wings . He flew 151 combat missions as a fighter pilot with the 31st Fighter Group during World War II , flying Spitfires and P - 51 aircraft over Italy , Southern France , Germany , Czechoslovakia and the other occupied countries of Eastern Europe . He became a fighter ace during this period , shooting down five enemy aircraft and damaging two others . He returned to the United States in October 1944 and served as a P - 47 fighter pilot instructor and base armament officer at Millville Army Air Field , New Jersey . He was next assigned as squadron commander and instructor at Shaw Field , S . C . In July 1946 he went to Itazuke Air Base , Japan , to serve in the occupation forces . Initially assigned as a personnel staff officer , he later served as commander of the 433d Fighter Squadron and as operations officer of the 475th Fighter Group . In January 1949 he became operations officer at the Air Force Reserve Training Center , Byrd Field , Richmond , Virginia . He was transferred to Headquarters Ninth Air Force , Langley Air Force Base , Va . , in June 1949 and assigned as a staff officer in the Personnel Directorate . Shortly after the beginning of the Korean War , he volunteered for combat duty and in July 1950 went to Taegu , Korea , where he served 13 months , initially as base operations officer , and then as commander of the 9th Fighter - Bomber Squadron . He flew 113 missions against North Korean and Communist Chinese forces and participated in five major campaigns . Between September 1951 and July 1955 , he was assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida . As a senior project officer , he was responsible for the operational suitability testing of the F - 84F , KB - 29 Phase II Outing Tanker , KC - 97 Drogue Tanker , and various other systems and munitions . After graduation from Air Command and Staff College in June 19569 he joined the faculty as an instructor and curriculum planner with responsibility for the college ' s correspondence course , which had an enrollment of more than 5 , 000 students . He was transferred to Taiwan in April 1960 and for two years was U . S . adviser to the Republic of China ' s National War College . Loving went to Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base , Virginia , in July 1962 and served for two years as a staff officer with the Policy Division ( Plans ) , during which time he was concerned with formulating tactical air doctrine . He attended the Air War College during 1964 - 65 and subsequently was assigned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force in the Aerospace Doctrine Division , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations , as a staff officer and branch chief . He was responsible for the development of Air Force and Joint doctrinal publications which form the fundamental basis for war plans and for organizing , training , equipping and employing U . S . military forces . He served as commandant , Air Command and Staff College from June 1970 to January 1973 . Loving was assigned as deputy director of plans in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , Plans and operations at Headquarters U . S . Air Force , in January 1973 , and served as director of plans from April 1973 to January 1975 . He was appointed Joint Chiefs of Staff Representative for Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction in January 1975 and served as the senior military member of the U . S . delegation to the international conference in Vienna on MBFR . During the period August 1975 to June 1977 , he served as commander , Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force , with headquarters at Izmir , Turkey . He was reassigned to Japan and assumed command of U . S . Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force in June 1977 . A command pilot , his military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster , Silver Star , Legion of Merit , Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster , Meritorious Service Medal , Air Medal with 24 oak leaf clusters , Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster , Army Commendation Medal , Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster , and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation . He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general September 1 , 1975 , with date of rank August 26 , 1975 . He retired July 1 , 1979 .