Donald J. Butz is a retired Major General

Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...

 in the 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...

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Biography

Butz was born in Nevada City, California

Nevada City, California

-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...

 in 1933. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School

Christian Brothers High School (Sacramento, California)

Christian Brothers High School High School is a private, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory high school in Sacramento, California. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.-Background:...

 in Sacramento, California

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

 before attending Yuba College

Yuba College

Yuba College is the main campus for the Yuba Community College District in Marysville, California, USA. It also has extension campuses in Woodland, California and Clearlake, California as well as offering some classes in Colusa, California and Beale AFB....

, Chico State College

California State University, Chico

California State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento...

, the University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

 and the School of Dentistry at Saint Louis University

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...

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Career

Butz joined the Air Force in 1959 and was stationed at Misawa Air Base

Misawa Air Base

right|thumb|A US Navy C-2 at Misawa is a United States military facility located northeast of the railway station in Misawa, west of the Pacific Ocean, northeast of Towada, northwest of Hachinohe, and north of Tokyo, in Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of the...

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 in October of that year. In 1962, he returned to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and was assigned to Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....

. He was later assigned to Robins Air Force Base

Robins Air Force Base

Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of and adjacent to the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, SSE of Macon, Georgia, and about SSE of Atlanta, Georgia...

 before becoming an instructor and course supervisor at Sheppard Air Force Base

Sheppard Air Force Base

Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...

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From 1973 to 1978, he was assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States Air Force

Surgeon General of the United States Air Force

The Surgeon General of the United States Air Force is the senior-most Medical Service officer in the U.S. Air Force. In recent times, this has been a Lieutenant General who serves as head of the United States Air Force Medical Service...

. He then transferred to Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe

United States Air Forces in Europe

The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...

. In 1979, he returned to the Office of the Surgeon General before transferring 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...

 in 1982.

Butz was named Assistant Surgeon General for Dental Services in the Office of the Surgeon General in 1987. He would retire in 1993.

Awards he received include the 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 oak leaf cluster

Oak leaf cluster

An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...

, 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...

 with oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal

Commendation Medal

The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...

, the Outstanding Unit Award

Outstanding Unit Award

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...

, the Organizational Excellence Award

Organizational Excellence Award

The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award is an award of the United States Air Force and is the lowest ranking unit award. The award was first created in 1969 and is presented to Air Force internal organizations that are entities within larger organizations...

 and the 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...

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