Arthur Lichte

Arthur J. Lichte
Arthur J. Lichte
	Major General)
Commands held	Air Mobility Command; 89th Airlift Wing; 92nd Air Refueling Wing; 458th Operations Group; 9th Air Refueling Squadron;
Awards	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (3); Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; (2)

Arthur James Lichte (born April 20, 1949) is a former four-star general in the United States Air Force, retroactively retired in the grade of major general.

Education

Lichte was born in The

Bronx, New York, where he graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Manhattan College, New York City, in 1971 and his master's degree in systems management from University of Southern California in 1978. He attended Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB in Alabama in 1978 and the National War College

at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. in 1989.

In 1994 Lichte attended the Program for Senior Officials in National Security at the

John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

, Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2002 he attended the Revolutions in Business Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.

Career

Lichte entered the

VC-137. In addition to his command experience, Lichte held headquarters-level assignments at Strategic Air Command, Air Mobility Command, and United States Transportation Command

.

Lichte served as Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Force Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for Air Staff organization and administration, served as Deputy Chairman of the Air Force Council, and was the Air Force accreditation official for the Corps of Air Attachés.

Lichte's last military assignment was as the commander of

Air Force Reserve

and civilians – provide airlift, aerial refueling, special air mission and aeromedical evacuation for all of America's armed forces.

Lichte retired from the Air Force on January 1, 2010, with over 38 years of military service.[1]

On April 23, 2010, Airbus announced Lichte had joined the board of EADS North America. ^[2]

Sexual assault allegations

In August 2016 it was revealed in

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, issued a letter of reprimand and initiated a board determination of what grade General Lichte had satisfactorily served in prior to his retirement. On 1 February 2017, it was announced the Lichte was retroactively retired in the grade of major general.^[5]

Assignments

October 1971 – October 1972, student, undergraduate pilot training,

Sheppard AFB

, Texas

October 1972 – May 1975,

McClellan AFB

, California

May 1975 – July 1981, co-pilot, aircraft commander, flight commander, standardization and evaluation aircraft commander, later,

Plattsburgh AFB

, New York

July 1981 – July 1985, Assistant Chief, Tanker Resource Management Team; Chief, Tanker Career Management Section; Chief, Operations-Maintenance Squadron Commander Management Branch; Chief, Special Assignments Activity Branch; later, Chief, Selective Assignments Activity Branch, Headquarters SAC,

Offutt AFB

, Nebraska

July 1985 – August 1988, KC-10A flight commander, later, operations officer, later, Commander,

March AFB

, California

August 1988 – June 1989, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

June 1989 – January 1990, Deputy Chief, Strategic Forces Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

January 1990 – June 1991, executive officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Resources, Headquarters

U.S. Air Force

, Washington, D.C.

June 1991 – April 1992, Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 2nd Bombardment Wing,

Barksdale AFB

, Louisiana

April 1992 – July 1993, commander of 458th Operations Group, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana

July 1993 – July 1995, executive officer to the Commander, USTRANSCOM, and to the Commander, AMC,

Scott AFB

, Illinois

August 1995 – November 1996, Commander,

Fairchild AFB

, Washington

November 1996 – January 1999, commander of 89th Airlift Wing,

Andrews AFB

, Maryland

January 1999 – April 2000, Director of Global Reach Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

April 2000 – December 2002, director of plans and programs, Headquarters AMC,

Scott AFB

, Ill.

December 2002 – June 2005, Vice Commander, USAFE,

Ramstein AB

, Germany

July 2005 – August 2007, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters

U.S. Air Force

, Washington, D.C.

September 2007 – November 2009, Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.

Flight information

Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: Over 9,000
Aircraft flown:
VC-137

Awards and decorations

	Air Force Command Pilot Badge
	Headquarters Air Force Badge

	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
	Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Achievement Medal
	Valor device and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (Fifth award requires second ribbon due to accouterment spacing)
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
	Combat Readiness Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	National Defense Service Medal with two service stars
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two service stars
	Southwest Asia Service Medal
	Kosovo Campaign Medal with one service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	National Order of Merit of France (grade unknown)