Walter Kross
Encyclopedia
General Walter Kross is a retired United States Air Force four star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Transportation Command/Commander, Air Mobility Command
(USCINCTRANS/COMAMC) from 1996 to 1998.
Kross was commissioned through Officer Training School in December 1964. His early career combined both fighter and airlift experience as he flew 157 F-4 combat missions, 100 over North Vietnam. He later transitioned to airlift, then senior executive and congressional pilot support. He was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force for six years, part of that time in the Chief's Staff Group. He has served as commander of a C-5 wing, as director of operations and logistics for all defense transportation requirements in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and as director of operations for Air Force headquarters. Additionally, Kross was commander of the provisional force in charge of standing up Air Mobility Command, as well as its first vice commander. He was also commander of 15th Air Force, Travis Air Force Base
, California, then director, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C..
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
(USCINCTRANS/COMAMC) from 1996 to 1998.
Kross was commissioned through Officer Training School in December 1964. His early career combined both fighter and airlift experience as he flew 157 F-4 combat missions, 100 over North Vietnam. He later transitioned to airlift, then senior executive and congressional pilot support. He was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force for six years, part of that time in the Chief's Staff Group. He has served as commander of a C-5 wing, as director of operations and logistics for all defense transportation requirements in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and as director of operations for Air Force headquarters. Additionally, Kross was commander of the provisional force in charge of standing up Air Mobility Command, as well as its first vice commander. He was also commander of 15th Air Force, Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
, California, then director, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C..
Education
- 1964 Bachelor of science degree in chemistry, Niagara UniversityNiagara UniversityNiagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
, New York - 1971 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer SchoolSquadron Officer SchoolSquadron Officer School , is a five-week long Professional Military Education course for U.S. Air Force Captains. It fulfills the U.S. Air Force's requirement for primary developmental education . SOS is based at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the in-residence version of the course is taught there...
, Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Alabama - 1974 Master's degree in government, Southern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
- 1975 Master's degree in public administration, Auburn UniversityAuburn UniversityAuburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, Alabama - 1975 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff CollegeAir Command and Staff CollegeThe 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...
, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama - 1977 Air War CollegeAir War CollegeThe 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...
- 1982 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
- 1985 Executive Development Program, Kellogg School of ManagementKellogg School of ManagementThe Kellogg School of Management is the business school of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, downtown Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. Kellogg offers full-time, part-time, and executive programs, as well as partnering programs with schools in China, India, Hong Kong, Israel,...
, Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees.... - 1990 Senior Executive Seminar, John F. Kennedy School of GovernmentJohn F. Kennedy School of GovernmentThe John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Assignments
- December 1964 – July 1966, student, pilot training, Laredo Air Force BaseLaredo Air Force BaseLaredo Air Force Base is an inactivated United States Air Force near Laredo, Texas. First activated in 1942 as Laredo Army Airfield, the facility instructed recruits in aerial gunnery during World War II, then as a United States Air Force base in the 1950s and 1960s, performed Undergraduate Pilot...
, Texas - July 1966 – February 1967, F-4 pilot, 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 3 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Florida in Okaloosa County....
, Florida - February 1967 – September 1967, F-4 pilot, 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron476th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 18 March 1969.-History:...
, George Air Force BaseGeorge Air Force BaseGeorge Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits, 8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold...
, California - September 1967 – September 1968, F-4C aircraft commander, 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam
- September 1968 – March 1972, C-141 pilot, 76th Military Airlift Squadron, later, flight examiner, 437th Military Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force BaseCharleston Air Force BaseJoint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command...
, South Carolina - March 1972 – August 1974, VC-135 and VC-137 special missions pilot, 98th Military Airlift Squadron, Andrews Air Force BaseAndrews Air Force BaseJoint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....
, Maryland - August 1974 – August 1975, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base
- August 1975 – April 1979, air operations officer, tactical forces division, and later, assistant deputy director for Joint and Congressional Matters, directorate of plans, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- April 1979 – July 1981, member, chief of staff of the Air Force Staff Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- July 1981 – June 1982, student, National War College, and senior research fellow, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
- June 1982 – March 1984, deputy commander for operations and later, vice commander, 89th Military Airlift Wing, Andrews Air Force Base
- March 1984 – July 1987, vice commander, and later, commander, 436th Military Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force BaseDover Air Force BaseDover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located two miles southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware.-Units:...
, Delaware - July 1987 – October 1988, vice commander, Air Force Military Personnel Center, and deputy assistant deputy chief of staff, personnel for military personnel, Randolph Air Force BaseRandolph Air Force BaseRandolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas - October 1988 – May 1990, deputy chief of staff, plans and requirements, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
- May 1990 – July 1991, director of operations and logistics (J-3/J-4), Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force BaseScott Air Force BaseScott 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 - July 1991 – January 1992, director of operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- January 1992 – July 1992, commander, Air Mobility Command (Provisional), Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
- July 1992 – June 1993, vice commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
- June 1993 – July 1994, commander, 15th Air Force, Travis Air Force Base, California
- July 1994 – July 1996, director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- July 1996–1998, commander in chief, U.S. Transportation Command, and commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Flight information
- Rating: Command pilot
- Flight hours: More than 5,700
- Aircraft flown: F-4, C-141, VC-135, VC-137, C-5, T-37, T-38, T-33, KC-135, C-140, C-21, C-9 and KC-10
Major awards and decorations
- Defense Distinguished Service Medal
- Distinguished Service Medal
- Legion of Merit
- Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters
- Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
- Air Medal with 12 oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
- Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm