Ronald Fogleman

Ronald Robert Fogleman (born January 27, 1942) is a retired General in the United States Air Force who served the 16th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from 1994 to 1997, and before that, from 1992 to 1994 as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Transportation Command.

Air Force career
A 1963 graduate from the United States Air Force Academy, he holds a master's degree in military history and political science from Duke University. A command pilot and a parachutist, he amassed more than 6,800 flying hours in fighter, transport, tanker and rotary wing aircraft. He flew 315 combat missions and logged 806 hours of combat flying in fighter aircraft. 80 of his missions were as a "Misty FAC" in the F-100F Super Sabre at Phu Cat Air Base between 25 December 1968 and 23 April 1969.

Fogleman was shot down in Vietnam in 1968, while piloting a F-100. He was rescued from being captured by clinging on to an AH-1 Cobra helicopter that landed at the crash site.

In early assignments he instructed student pilots, performed combat duty as a fighter pilot and high-speed forward air controller in Vietnam and Thailand, taught history at the Air Force Academy and conducted flight operations in Europe—including duty as an F-15 Eagle aircraft demonstration pilot for international airshows. He commanded an Air Force wing, an air division, a numbered air force, a major command and a unified command.

Fogleman was the first graduate of the United States Air Force Academy to advance to Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He retired September 1, 1997.

Bosnian War Controversy in June 1995
During the Bosnian War NATO Forces were establishing a no-fly-zone. On the second June two patrolling US F16 aircraft of that operation came under attack by a Serbian SA-6 surface-to-air missile. One plane was consequently hit and the pilot, Scott O'Grady ejected. Minutes after the landing, Serbian forces were closing in on his position, but he managed to escape and radioed for help on the 4th day, transmitting intermittent to lessen the chance of detection. These radio calls were picked up by US Forces.

General Ronald Fogleman, at the time Air Force Chief of Staff told press reporters during a promotion ceremony that "intermittent" transmissions were picked up. An "enraged" NATO official described this with "I was dumbfounded he said that" and "I mean, why not just announce to the bad guys, 'We think he's alive and kicking, and we hope we find him before you do'?" according to information published in the TIME magazine.

However this 'leak' did not thwart a US Marine rescue operation involving several aircraft and helicopters that was launched later. Although the rescue forces came under small arms fire and missiles were fired by shoulder-held surface-to-air launchers on the way back, O'Grady was successfully extracted.

Post-Air Force career
He currently has a seat of Boards of Directors of Alliant Techsystems, AAR Corporation, Mesa Air Group, Inc., and World Air Holdings, Inc.

On November 11, 2009, General Fogleman was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors at Alliant Techsystems Inc., following the retirement of ATK Chairman and CEO Dan Murphy.

Awards and decorations

 * Defense Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
 * Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
 * Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg Army Distinguished Service Medal
 * Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Navy Distinguished Service Medal
 * SilverStar.gif Silver Star
 * Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
 * Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
 * Purple Heart BAR.svg Purple Heart
 * Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
 * Air Medal ribbon.svg Air Medal with 17 oak leaf clusters
 * Aerial Achievement Medal ribbon.svg Aerial Achievement Medal
 * Air Force Commendation ribbon.svg Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
 * Vietnam Service Ribbon.svg Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars
 * Gugseon Security Medal Ribbon.png Order of National Security Merit, Kooksun, Republic of Korea
 * Vietnam gallantry cross-w-palm-3d.svg Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
 * Noribbon.svg Venezuelan Air Force Cross, First Class
 * Order of the Crown of Thailand - 1st Class (Thailand) ribbon.png Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
 * JPN Kyokujitsu-sho 1Class BAR.svg Grand Cordon, First Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Japan
 * SWE Order of the Polar Star (after 1975) - Knight 1st Class BAR.png Royal Order of the Polar Star, First Class, Sweden
 * Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon.svg Legion of Honor, with the rank of Commander, France
 * SICOFAA Legion of Merit Grand Cross.png Legion of Merit, Grand Cross, Cooperation System of the American Air Forces