Maj. General Stanton (Stan) R. Musser
April 2, 1936 - October 8, 2012
Maj. Gen Stanton (Stan) R. Musser was born in 1936 in Watsontown, PA., and earned a Bachelor of
Science degree from Gettysburg College in 1958. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant through
Air Force (ROTC) and proceeded to pilot training upon graduation.
Musser served two tours in Vietnam, in 1964 and again in 1970, flying a total of 263 combat missions, first in the 0-iF Bird Dog and later in the F-4E Phantom II with the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing.
The General served at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Cob., as an air officer commanding in 1966 and returned in 1975 and served as deputy commandant of the cadet wing and then as the vice commandant.
In late 1966 Musser was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron, The Thunderbirds, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. During his time as a team member, he flew more than 300 official aerial demonstrations in the United States and 20 foreign countries.
Musser also served in several command and staff positions before retiring from active duty, most
notably as the Vice Commander of the first operational F-15 Eagle Wing, the 15t Tactical Fighter Wing,
Langley Air Force Base, Fla.; Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation, Cairo, Egypt.; the Deputy
Director of the Defense Logistics Agency; and finally, as the Commander of the Air Force Inspection and
Safety Center, Norton Air Force Base, California.
Musser was a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours in the F-4, F-15, and F-100. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in Personnel Management from Central Michigan University in 1975. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Metal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal.
Upon retiring from the Air Force in 1989, Musser took over as Commandant of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets for the next 10 years, retiring in 1999 as the then longest serving Commandant of Cadets in the University's history. Under his leadership the corps experienced major positive changes in the quality of the program while also embarking on the first period of sustained growth in several decades. Gen. Musser took major steps to change how the corps treated people and how it raised leaders. Under his tutelage the corps evolved from a rite of passage organization to one focused on developing the whole person in a character-based curriculum. He oversaw the beginning of the leader development effort that is thriving today, and significant elements of the program, such as the Emerging Leader Scholarship and the start of what is now the Rice Center for Leader Development, occurred under his leadership.