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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Arthur S. Almquist

Major General John A. Almquist, Jr., is the commander of the Arizona Air National Guard, Phoenix, Ariz. He is responsible for the 2,700 men and women who are current members of an air refueling group, tactical fighter group, tactical control squadron, air traffic control flight and a headquarters staff. He and his staff have the authority to establish policy to enhance mission readiness of these assigned units.
General Almquist was born on March 19, 1932, in Wilmington, Del. He attended high school at Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Mass., graduating in 1950. He received his bachelor of arts degree in economics from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., in 1955. His military education includes the National Security Management Course Industrial College of the Air Force, 1981; and the Reserve/Air National Guard Professional Personnel Management, 1983.
The general was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corp program in March 1955. After completion of basic pilot training, Pensacola, FL., 1955, and advanced pilot training, Corpus Christie, Texas, 1956, he served as a combat duty pilot aboard aircraft carriers in 1956 and 1957. He separated from active duty in January 1958, and joined the Naval Reserve as a pilot.
In May 1964 General Almquist was commissioned as a captain in the Air National Guard of Arizona and assigned to the 197th Air Transport Squadron as a transport pilot. In November 1973 he was assigned to the 197th Air Refueling Squadron as a tanker pilot. He served the 197th Air Refueling Squadron as group air operations officer command control, January 1978; unit tanker pilot, flight commander, October 1978; squadron operations officer, October 1979; unit squadron operations officer, November 1981; and squadron commander, March 1982. In November 1982 the general became director of operations at Headquarters, Arizona Air National Guard. He assumed his present position as the commander of the Arizona Air National Guard on Nov. 20, 1983.
General Almquist is a command pilot with more than 5,400 flying hours in various Navy aircraft, C-97, KC-97 and KC-135 aircraft. His awards and decorations includes the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Combat Readiness Medal with five oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Arizona Exceptionally Long Service Medal and Arizona Long Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
As a civilian, General Almquist is a vice president of Prudential-Bache Securities in Tucson.
The general's civic affiliations include the Air Force Association, Andover Alumni Council, Cornell University Council, Goldwater Squadron, National Guard Association of the United States and Arizona, Tucson Community Foundation, U.S. State Department Technology Exchange Delegate, Peoples Republic of China in 1982 and the National Guard Enlisted Association.
He was promoted to major general and federally recognized on March 11, 1967.
General Almquist is married to the former Laura T. Treman of Ithaca, N.Y. They have three children: Peter, Kristin and Arthur. The Almquists live in Tucson.