George Lee Butler

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George L. Butler
96th Bombardment Wing
320th Bombardment Wing
Battles/wars
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Air Medal
(3)

George Lee Butler (born June 17, 1939), sometimes known as Lee Butler, is an American retired military officer. He was commander in chief,

nuclear weapons
.

Early life and education

Butler was born in 1939 at

Armed Forces Staff College
in 1974.

Military career

Butler was commissioned in June 1961 and received undergraduate pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, followed by basic instructor school at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. He then flew as an instructor pilot in T-33s and also served as an academic instructor at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama, from March 1963 to December 1964.

Butler was selected for study in France as an

Cam Ranh Bay Air Base
, South Vietnam.

From August 1968 to March 1969 Butler was aide to the commander of

7th Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Air Base
, South Vietnam. Returning to the United States and the United States Air Force Academy, he served as an instructor in the political science department, and as an executive officer and air officer commanding in the academy's military training department.

In July 1971 Butler was assigned as special assistant to the director,

Office of Emergency Preparedness, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C. He again returned to the academy in January 1972, as an assistant professor in the political science department. After completing combat crew training in October 1972, he was assigned as chief pilot of the 53rd Military Airlift Squadron, 63rd Military Airlift Wing, Norton Air Force Base
, California.

Butler entered the

Armed Forces Staff College in July 1973 and, after graduating in February 1974, was assigned as air operations officer, International Relations Branch, Directorate of Plans, Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. Remaining at the Pentagon, he served from October 1974 to September 1975 as executive officer for the special assistant for strategic initiatives, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Air Force headquarters.

Other Pentagon assignments in the following years included plans and programs officer, Strategy Development and Analysis, Directorate of Plans; executive director of Air Force Budget Issues Team; executive director,

Airborne Warning and Control System
task force; and chief of Congressional and Joint Matters Division, Directorate of Concepts.

After B-52 combat crew training in May 1977, Butler was assigned to the

416th Bombardment Wing (Heavy), Griffiss Air Force Base
, New York, first as assistant deputy commander for operations and, later, as the wing's deputy commander for operations. In June 1979 he returned to Air Force headquarters as chief of a policy analysis group serving the Air Force chief of staff.

Command posts

From March 1981 to June 1983 Butler was assigned as vice commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing (Heavy),

96th Bombardment Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1983. In July 1984 he was assigned to Headquarters Strategic Air Command
, Offutt Air Force Base, as inspector general. Butler returned to Air Force headquarters in August 1986 as deputy director of operations and became director in January 1987.

In May 1987 Butler became vice director for strategic plans and policy, J-5, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; in July 1989 he then became the director. In January 1991 he became the last commander in chief of Strategic Air Command, and director of Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, with headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base. The Strategic Air Command was the nation's major nuclear deterrent force with bombers, tankers, reconnaissance aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff coordinated U.S. nuclear war plans and developed the Single Integrated Operational Plan. He assumed his final command in June 1992, when Strategic Air Command was disestablished.

Awards and decorations

Butler is a

Air Force Commendation Medal
.

Butler was promoted to general January 25, 1991, with same date of rank, and retired February 28, 1994.[2]

Nuclear disarmament

Following his retirement he became active in the

Heinz Award for Public Policy in 2002 for his work.[3]

Author: Uncommon Cause – Volume I: A Life at Odds with Convention – The Formative Years, and Uncommon Cause – Volume II: A Life at Odds with Convention – The Transformative Years (Published 2016) Books by General George Lee Butler

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Lee Butler.
  1. ISBN 9780160399787
    . Retrieved 2015-06-20.
  2. ^ Biographies : GENERAL GEORGE LEE BUTLER Archived February 9, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "The Heinz Awards :: George Lee Butler". heinzawards.net. Retrieved 2015-06-20.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force

Military offices
Preceded by
John T. Chain, Jr.
 Commander, Strategic Air Command
1991–1992 		Command disbanded
New command Commander, United States Strategic Command
1992–1994 		Succeeded by
Henry G. Chiles, Jr.
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