MGen Thomas R. Olsen USAF (Ret.)

Major General Thomas R, Olsen, USAF (retired) spent thirty-five years garnishing awards as a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours in the T-33, T-39, F-4, F-86, F-100, F-102, and F-lll. During his military career, he flew 301 combat missions while assigned to Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam. He participated in the reorganization and conversion of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Mountain Home AFB to F-lllFs, later becoming commander of the 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron. General Olsen later served as chief of staff for Tactical Air Command's 9th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base. Returning to the Pacific Theater, he was assigned as vice commander of the 314th Air Division, Seoul, South Korea. He later moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan and served as deputy chief of staff for operations for 5th Air Force. He then took command of the 51st Tactical Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base where he was responsible for leadership and management of three tactical fighter squadrons assigned to three different bases there. He then became deputy director for operations at the Headquarters U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. He then served as assistant chief of staff for operations, Allied Forces Central Europe, Brunssum, Netherlands. He became chief of staff and deputy commander, 4th Allied Tactical Fir Force, Heidelberg, West Germany. General Olsen returned to Shaw Air Force Base as the vice commander, Headquarters 9th Air Force, and deputy commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces and deployed to Saudi Arabia as deputy commander for U.S. Central Command Air Forces, where he was initially in charge of all U.S. and allied air assets. His military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 15 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and French Order of National Merit (Desert Storm-Liberation of Kuwait).