Alfred Gustav Hansen is a retired United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 four star general who served as Commander, Air Force Logistics Command

Air Force Logistics Command

Air Force Logistics Command was a United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...

 (COMAFLC) from 1987 to 1989.

Military career

Hansen was born in 1933, in New York City. He graduated from Sewanhaka High School

Sewanhaka High School

Sewanhaka High School is a six-year public high school located in Floral Park, New York, United States, as part of the Sewanhaka Central High School District. The school's sports teams are known as "The Indians" and the team colors are purple, gold, and white. The school's name translates to...

 in Floral Park, New York

Floral Park, New York

Floral Park is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. The village is at the western border of Nassau County, and is located in both the Town of Hempstead and the Town of North Hempstead...

 in 1951 and then attended Hofstra College. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from Troy State University in 1972. He completed 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 1966, and Air War College

Air War College

The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...

 in 1972.

He initially enlisted in the Air Force and later was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the aviation cadet program, receiving his pilot wings in February 1955 at Vance Air Force Base

Vance Air Force Base

Vance Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located 6 km south of downtown Enid, Oklahoma, and within its city limits, about north northwest of Oklahoma City...

, Oklahoma. His first assignment was with the 303rd Air Refueling Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....

, Arizona, as a KC-97 Stratotanker

KC-97 Stratotanker

The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...

 pilot. In December 1958 he was assigned to Castle Air Force Base

Castle Air Force Base

Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....

, California, for KC-135 combat crew training and upon completion was assigned as an Boeing EC-135

Boeing EC-135

The Boeing EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war...

 and KC-135 pilot with the 34th Air Refueling Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base

Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...

, Nebraska, until August 1965.

After graduating from Air Command and Staff College in July 1966, Hansen was assigned to the Air Force Systems Command

Air Force Systems Command

Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...

, Headquarters Air Force Eastern Test Range, Patrick Air Force Base

Patrick Air Force Base

Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...

, Florida, and served as a member of the Apollo spacecraft recovery team until March 1968. He then was assigned to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base

Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base

Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base , formerly Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, is a Royal Thai Navy facility used for riverine patrols along the Mekong River. It is located approximately 365 miles northeast of Bangkok, 9 miles west of Nakhon Phanom city in Nakhon Phanom Province in the...

, Thailand, as an A-1 Skyraider

A-1 Skyraider

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...

 pilot with the 1st Air Commando Squadron, later redesignated the 1st Special Operations Squadron. He flew 113 combat missions. From September 1968 to March 1969 he served in the Republic of Vietnam as a fighter operations staff officer at Headquarters 7th Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Air Base

Tan Son Nhut Air Base

Tan Son Nhut Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. It is located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...

.

Hansen was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

 at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, from April 1969 to July 1971. While there he served as chief and, later, operations staff officer in the Aircraft Allocation and Flying Hour, and Operational Planning branches, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. After completing Air War College in November 1972, he was assigned to Pope Air Force Base

Pope Air Force Base

Pope Field is a United States Army facility located 12 miles northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.-Units:...

, North Carolina. He first served as operations officer with the 39th Tactical Airlift Squadron and then, from June 1973 until November 1974, as commander of the 41st Tactical Airlift Squadron. During this period he commanded several overseas squadron rotational missions in Thailand, England and West Germany. He then was assigned to the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing staff as the deputy commander for maintenance. After graduation with honors from the Aircraft Maintenance-Avionics Officers Course at Chanute Air Force Base

Chanute Air Force Base

Chanute Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training....

, Illinois in 1975, he returned to the wing as deputy commander for maintenance.

In October 1977 Hansen was assigned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command

Military Airlift Command

The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...

, Scott Air Force Base

Scott Air Force Base

Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...

, Illinois, as director of maintenance engineering. Hel assumed command of the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base

Little Rock Air Force Base

Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.-Overview:...

, Arkansas, in October 1978. During his tenure the wing participated in the Worldwide Airlift competition, winning the best maintenance award in 1979 and the General William Moore trophy for best overall airlift wing in 1981. In August 1981 he returned to Military Airlift Command headquarters as deputy chief of staff for logistics, responsible for ensuring the logistics readiness of worldwide airlift forces.

From February 1983 to May 1985 he was assigned as director for logistics plans and programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Engineering, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He also served as primary member of the Air Staff Board. In June 1985 he became director for logistics, J-4, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. In this position he was responsible for worldwide logistics in support of theater commander's war plans, was a member of the Senior NATO Logistics Forum and directed the study that resulted in the formation of the United States Transportation Command

United States Transportation Command

The United States Transportation Command is one of nine unified commands of the United States Department of Defense. The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war.USTRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force...

. He assumed command of AFLC in July 1987.

Awards and decorations

Hansen is a command pilot with more than 7,000 flying hours. He is also the recipient of the 1988 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award for outstanding management achievements in the Air Force. He retired from the Air Force on November 1, 1989.

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...
	Air Force 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...  with two oak leaf clusters
	Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...  with oak leaf cluster
	Bronze Star Medal Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
	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 Medal Air Medal The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...  with seven oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Presidential Unit Citation
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
	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...
	Air Force Good Conduct Medal
	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
	Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...  with three service stars
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with eight oak leaf clusters
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon The Air Force Training Ribbon is the lowest military award of the United States Air Force, ranking only above foreign military awards.The Air Force Training Ribbon was authorized by the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force on October 12, 1980. It is awarded to U.S. Air Force service members on completion...
	Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
	Vietnam Campaign Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...