John B. Conaway
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...

 John B. Conaway (born August 23, 1934) is a retired U.S. Air Force officer who served as the Chief of the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. from 1990 to 1993.

Education

After graduating from Bosse High School in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...

 in 1952, he attended the University of Evansville
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...

 and earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in Business Administration in 1956. While attending, he joined Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...

 Fraternity. He continued graduate work at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...

 School of Business and the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

 School of Business. In 1975, he earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in management and human relations from Webster College
Webster College
Webster College is a private, for profit, two-year and four-year degree granting College with campuses in Ocala, Florida, and Holiday, Florida, an Online Division and formerly of Fairmont, WV...

. General Conaway completed U.S. Air Force Commanders Safety School in 1969, Air Command and Staff College
Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate professional military education school. It prepares field grade and equivalent officers of all U.S...

 in 1971, Air University Commanders School in 1972 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...

 in 1973.

In 1986, Conaway received an honorary doctor of laws degree from his alma mater, the University of Evansville. The general was elected to the board of trustees of the University of Evansville in 1984.

Military career

While attending the University of Evansville
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...

, General Conaway entered the Reserve Officer Training Corps program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in June 1956. In 1957, after completing basic pilot training at Greenville Air Force Base, Mississippi, he attended advanced combat crew training at Perrin Air Force Base
Perrin Air Force Base
Perrin Air Force Base is an inactive United States Air Force base, approximately 7 miles northeast of Sherman, Texas. It was active during World War II as pilot training airfield and during the Cold War as a combat crew and flying training base...

, Texas, graduating in 1958. His next assignments were as an F-102 fighter-interceptor pilot in the Air Defense Command at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base and Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan.

In 1960, Conaway joined the West Virginia Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

 as an SA-16 pilot, flying a special forces operations mission. In 1963, he transferred to the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Louisville, as an RB-57 pilot and, in 1965, became an air technician flying training instructor in operations, flying RF-101s.

He was called to active duty with the Kentucky Air National Guard in January 1968 and served in Alaska, Panama, Japan and Korea. Upon its deactivation in June 1969, he returned to the Kentucky Air National Guard as operations officer.

In October 1972, Conaway was appointed air commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard. In December 1974, he was appointed vice commander of the 123rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, which had units in Kentucky, Arkansas, Nevada and Idaho. Other assignments Included duty as wing director of operations, wing chief of safety, wing chief of standardization and evaluation, group commander, group deputy commander for operations, and squadron operations officer.
Conaway was recalled to active duty as deputy director of the Air National Guard in April 1977 and in April 1981, became director. He was reappointed director in April 1985, and then became vice chief in July 1988. He was appointed as Chief of the National Guard Bureau in February 1990.

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on March 1, 1990. He retired on November 30, 1993.

Awards and decorations

LtGen Conaway is a command pilot with more than 6,500 flying hours In the C-21, C-22, C47
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...

, C-54
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...

, C-130 Hercules, C-131
C-131 Samaritan
The Convair C-131 Samaritan was an American military transport produced from 1954 to 1956. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240.-Design and development:...

, SA-16, F-15
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...

, F-16
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

, F-86
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...

, F-102
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...

, KC-135, RB-57, RF-4C, RF-101, T-28
T-28
The Soviet T-28 was among the world's first medium tanks. The prototype was completed in 1931 and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry-support tank intended to break through fortified defences...

, T-29, T-33
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...

, T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...

, T-39 and T-43 aircraft. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal was created by an act of the United States Congress on July 6, 1960. The medal was intended as a new decoration of the United States Air Force to replace the policy of awarding the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Air Force personnel.The Air Force...

, Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

, Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...

, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Combat Readiness Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
The Combat Readiness Medal is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1964. The original Combat Readiness Medal was an award senior to the Air Force Commendation Medal and was awarded for superior and meritorious duty to the United States Air Force...

 with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
The Air Force Recognition Ribbon is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first created in October 1980. The ribbon is intended to recognize those who have received "non-portable" awards for accomplishment and excellence while serving on active duty in the United States Air...

, National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

 with service star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...

, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with four oak leaf clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by the Reserve and National Guard forces of the United States of America....

 with two hourglass devices, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Air Force Training Ribbon and Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal. He is also the recipient of the Air Force's Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award, Air Force Association's Citation of Honor, Selective Service System Exceptional Service Award and the Air National Guard's Order of the Sword
Order of the Sword (United States)
The Order of the Sword is an honor awarded within the U.S. Air Force. It is defined in the Airman's Guide by Boone Nicolls as a "special program where noncommisioned officers of a command recognize individuals they hold in high esteem and wish to honor...

.
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