David C. Jones
David C. Jones | |
---|---|
Potomac Falls, Virginia, U.S. | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Years of service | 1943–1982 |
Rank | General |
Commands held |
|
Battles/wars |
|
Spouse(s) |
Lois Tarbell
(m. 1942; died 2009) |
Children | 3 |
David Charles Jones (July 9, 1921 – August 10, 2013) was a United States Air Force general and the ninth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[1][2] In this capacity, Jones served as the highest-ranking uniformed officer of the United States Armed Forces.[3] He previously served as the ninth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and fifteenth commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe.[4][5]
Jones is best known for his efforts to cement the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the principal military advisor to the President, as opposed to being a "first among equals" of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[6][7] Following his retirement from active duty in 1982, he continued to emphasize the importance of such reform, which contributed to the passage of Goldwater-Nichols Act.[6][7]
Early life
Born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and raised in Minot, North Dakota, Jones graduated from Minot High School and attended both the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and Minot State Teacher's College. While attending college, he received his private pilot license from the Civilian Pilot Training Program. In April 1942, he left college to join the United States Army Air Forces.[7]
Military career
In February 1943, Jones graduated from Roswell Army Airfield flight school in New Mexico, received his pilot wings, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Forces. After serving as a flying instructor in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, Jones was assigned to the 3rd Emergency Rescue Squadron of the Fifth Air Force in Japan in 1945. He began as a unit pilot, flying Catalina flying boats, and rose to command the squadron.
From 1948 to 1949 Jones was a unit instructor and then assistant operations and training officer with the 2236th Air Force Reserve Training Center, Godman Field, Kentucky. Also during this period, he attended specialized professional military training courses.
Jones was assigned to the
Jones next served at
Jones was a 1960 graduate of the
, at its activation in 1965 and bought it to operational status.Jones then served in key staff assignments with
In April 1971, Jones returned to United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) as vice commander in chief. He assumed command of USAFE and the
United States Air Force Chief of Staff
Capping a career that had included operational and command positions in bomber, tanker, training and tactical fighter units as well as headquarters staff positions, General Jones was nominated by President
.General Jones emphasized the needs of modernized the Air Force following the end of the Vietnam War and in order to stop the Soviet armored thrust. As a result, the Fairchild A-10 Warthog aircraft was built to become the primary survivable tank killer. That program was followed by the General Dynamics EF-111 to counter Soviet air mobile defenses, along with the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS, which served to provide picture and detail of the airborne battlefield.[9] Much of the modernization program was focused on the European area, where the United States developed initiatives in response to Department of Defense and congressional interest for an increase in the capability of NATO.[3][9]
During his tenure as Air Force Chief of Staff General Jones also oversaw the improvements in the working relationship between the Air Force, Army and Navy. General Jones also developed an emerging concepts of air and ground integration that would eventually result in the Air-Land Battle Doctrine.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General David C. Jones was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 21 June 1978, replacing General George S. Brown, who retired due to ill health.[3] General Jones became the only Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who was not a graduate from either a college or service academy.[6][3] General Jones became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a period of increasing of the Soviet military arsenal and the emerging of Muslim militias within the Persian Gulf region that was deemed as a threat within the Western world nations.[3] General Jones also oversaw the increased funding for defense in response to the Soviet threat and due to the continuing Joint Chiefs of Staff advocacy of strategic force modernization.[6][3]
Jones accompanied President
Goldwater-Nichols Act
During his second term as chairman, Jones worked to make the chairman, rather than the corporate JCS, the principal military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense, arguing that such a change of the
Jones continued to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the first years of Ronald Reagan's Presidency in 1981.[6] He retired from active-duty within the United States Air Force after his second term period as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff finished on June 18, 1982.[3] In 1989 military history book Four Stars: The Inside Story of The Forty-Year Battle Between The Joint Chiefs of Staff and America's Civilian Leaders, historian Mark Perry wrote that General David C. Jones had earned a reputation as "a good service manager" who "welcomed change" during his tenure as both U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[11][6]
Jones was awarded an
Jones was a member of the
Personal life and death
In 1942, he married Lois Tarbell (1921–2009). They had three children, two daughters Susan and Kathy; and a son, David Curtis.[16]
Jones died August 10, 2013, at a military retirement community in
Dates of rank
Source:[18]
Insignia | Rank | Date |
---|---|---|
Second Lieutenant |
February 6, 1943 | |
First Lieutenant |
February 28, 1944 (permanent on February 6, 1946) | |
Captain |
April 11, 1946 (permanent on October 25, 1948) | |
Major | February 5, 1951 (permanent on January 23, 1952) | |
Lieutenant Colonel | June 1, 1953 (permanent on July 1, 1959) | |
Colonel | April 23, 1957 (permanent on December 22, 1960) | |
Brigadier General | December 1, 1965 (permanent on February 10, 1966) | |
Major General | November 1, 1967 (permanent on January 24, 1969) | |
Lieutenant General | August 1, 1969 | |
General | September 1, 1971 |
Awards and decorations
US Air Force Command Pilot Badge | |
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
|
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | |
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
| |
Army Distinguished Service Medal
| |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal | |
Legion of Merit | |
Distinguished Flying Cross | |
Bronze Star Medal | |
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster | |
Air Force Commendation Medal
| |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
| |
American Campaign Medal | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
| |
World War II Victory Medal
| |
Army of Occupation Medal | |
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star | |
Korean Service Medal with two service stars | |
Vietnam Service Medal with service star | |
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
| |
Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner, 1st Grade with Special Grand Cordon | |
National Order of Vietnam, Knight | |
Air Force Distinguished Service Order, 1st class (Vietnam) | |
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Knight Commander's Cross | |
Order of May of Aeronautical Merit, Knight (Argentina) | |
French Legion of Honour, Commander | |
Air Force Cross (Venezuela) | |
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Grand Officer | |
Air Force Cross of Aeronautical Merit, Grand Cross (Colombia) | |
Order of the Rising Sun, degree unknown (Japan) | |
Bolivian Order of Aeronautical Merit, Knight | |
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Award
| |
United Nations Korea Medal
| |
Vietnam Campaign Medal |
See also
References
- ^ "Gen. David C. Jones". Meaningful Funerals. (obituary). August 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ "Jones can fly most A.F. planes". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. April 2, 1980. p. A12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jones, David Charles (June 27, 2020). "9th Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General David Charles Jones". www.jcs.mil.
- ^ a b Jones, David C. "GENERAL DAVID C. JONES". af.mil. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Snyder, Thomas; Shaw, Shelia (January 28, 1992). "Profiles In Leadership 1942-1992". Air Force Historical Research Agency. pp. 168–175. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0395429235.
- ^ a b c Goldstein, Richard (August 14, 2013). "Gen. David C. Jones, Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs, Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- ISBN 0-16-050638-7
- ^ a b c d e Jones, David C. "David C. Jones" (PDF). airforcemag.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-1075296253.
- ^ a b "Gen. David C. Jones, Ex-Joint Chiefs Chair, Dies". AP. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- American Academy of Achievement.
- ^ "Awards Banquet Draws 'Giants of Achievement'" (PDF). The Salt Lake Tribune. June 24, 1979.
- ^ "Our History Photo: Steven P. Jobs, the 26-year-old co-founder and the board chairman of Apple Computer Company, with General David C. Jones, USAF, Golden Plate Awards Council co-chairman and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the American Academy of Achievement's 1982 Banquet of the Golden Plate in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Getty Images)". American Academy of Achievement.
- ^ Jeff Sharlet, The Family (Harper, 2008), p. 281
- ^ Goldstein, Richard (August 14, 2013). "Gen. David C. Jones, Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs, Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "Ninth CSAF laid to rest". United States Air Force. October 28, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
- ISBN 978-1480200203.
External links
- U.S. Air Force biography
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- DVIDS – photos of Jones' funeral at Arlington, October 2013