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BRIGADIER GENERAL RALPH ADEL SNAVELY

Ralph Adel Snavely was born in Aurora, Mo., in 1898. He served as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve from December 1918 to April 1919 and graduated from Teachers' College of Missouri in 1921, after which he engaged in commercial aviation.

General Snavely was appointed a second lieutenant in the Air Service of the Regular Army Jan. 5, 1923, and assigned as a student officer at the Air Corps Primary Flying School, Brooks Field, Texas. After completing the course, he transferred to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, from which he graduated with the rating of pilot in February 1924. Retained on duty at Kelly Field, he served as assistant engineer officer and operations officer of the 40th Squadron, and in May 1924 was assigned as flying instructor of the 10th School Group at that station.

General Snavely went to the Philippine Islands in July 1924 and, upon completion of his two-year tour, returned to Brooks Field as a student officer at the Flying Instructors School. In December 1926 he was transferred to Kelly Field where he became an instructor in the Bombardment Section of the Advanced Flying School. In September 1930 he went to Rockwell Field, Calif., for duty as engineering officer of the 11th Bombardment Squadron, and in October 1931 transferred with this organization to March Field, Calif. In June 1932, he was assigned to the 31st Bombardment Squadron, which he commanded at various times in addition to his duties as engineering officer.

In November 1934, General Snavely went to Maxwell Field, Ala., as post operations and ordnance officer, and then entered the Air Corps Tactical School there. Upon completion of the course in June 1936 he entered the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He graduated in June 1937 and returned to Maxwell Field as an instructor.

In July 1940, General Snavely was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps as assistant to the chief of the Training Section. Soon afterward he was transferred to Fort Leavenworth as an instructor at the Command and General Staff School. He went to London, England, in May 1941 where he became Special Assistant Army Observer at headquarters of the Special Army Observation Group, U.S. Army Forces in the European theater.

General Snavely became assistant chief of staff for operations of the Fourth Air Force in San Francisco, Calif., in September 1942, and in March 1943 was placed in command of the Los Angeles Air Wing. He later commanded the Los Angeles Fighter Wing, and in May 1944 assumed command of the 410th Air Force Base Unit in Los Angeles, retaining this position when the unit was later transferred to Hollywood, Calif. In August 1944, he was appointed commander of the 319th Wing of the Fourth Air Force with headquarters at Hammer Air Field, Calif.

In February 1945, General Snavely was assigned to headquarters of the Mediterranean Allied Air Force with the U.S. Group Control Council for Austria. He remained there until January 1947 when he was transferred to Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C. On March 7, 1947, he was appointed deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the 11th Air Force at Harrisburg, Pa. In June 1948, he was named vice commander of the 14th Air Force with headquarters in Orlando Air Force Base, Fla., and retained that position when the 14th Air Force Headquarters was moved to Warner Robins AFB, Ga., in October 1949.

In December 1949, the general was appointed chief of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group at Copenhagen, Denmark.

General Snavely's decorations include the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. He is rated a command pilot, combat observer, aircraft observer, and technical observer.

(Current as of June 1952)

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COMMANDERS

DATES SERVED

Lt Gen Barton K. Yount

23 Jan 42 - 26 Sep 45

Maj Gen James P. Hodges

27 Sep 45 - 12 Apr 46

Lt Gen John K. Cannon

13 Apr 46 - 13 Oct 48

Lt Gen Robert W. Harper

14 Oct 48 - 30 Jun 54

Maj Gen Glenn O. Barcus

1 Jul 54 - 25 Jul 54

Lt Gen Charles T. Myers

26 Jul 54 - 31 Jul 58

Lt Gen Frederic H. Smith, Jr.

1 Aug 58 - 31 Jul 59

Lt Gen James E. Briggs

1 Aug 59 - 31 Jul 63

Lt Gen Robert W. Burns

1 Aug 63 - 10 Aug 64

Lt Gen William W. Momyer

11 Aug 64 - 30 Jun 66

Lt Gen Sam Maddux, Jr.

1 Jul 66 - 31 Aug 70

Lt Gen George B. Simler

1 Sep 70 - 8 Sep 72

Lt Gen William V. McBride

9 Sep 72 - 31 Aug 74

Lt Gen George H. McKee

1 Sep 74 - 28 Aug 75

Gen John W. Roberts

29 Aug 75 - 31 Mar 79

Gen Bennie L. Davis

1 Apr 79 - 28 Jul 81

Gen Thomas M. Ryan, Jr.

29 Jul 81 - 22 Jun 83

Gen Andrew P. Iosue

23 Jun 83 - 27 Aug 86

Lt Gen John A. Shaud

28 Aug 86 - 5 Jun 88

Lt Gen Robert C. Oaks

6 Jun 88 - 24 Jun 90

Lt Gen Joseph W. Ashy

25 Jun 90 - 10 Dec 92

Gen Henry Viccellio, Jr.

11 Dec 92 - 19 Jun 95

Gen Billy J. Boles

20 Jun 95 - 16 Mar 97

Gen Lloyd W. "Fig" Newton

17 Mar 97 - 21 Jun 00

Gen Hal M. Hornburg

22 Jun 00 - 9 Nov 01

Lt Gen John D. Hopper Jr.

10 Nov 01 - 14 Dec 01

Gen Donald G. Cook

15 Dec 01 - 16 Jun 05

Gen William R. Looney III

17 Jun 05 - 2 Jul 08
Gen Stephen R. Lorenz
 		 3 Jul 08 - 17 Nov 10
 
Gen Edward A. Rice Jr.
 		 18 Nov 10 - 9 Oct 13
 
Gen Robin Rand
 		 10 Oct 13 - 21 July 15
 
Lt Gen Darryl Roberson
 		 21 July 15 - 17 Nov 2017 
 
Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast
 		 17 Nov 2017 - 26 July 2019 
 
Lt. Gen. Marshall B. "Brad" Webb 26 July 2019 - 20 May 2022
Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson 20 May 2022 - Present