Lieutenant General William W. Snavely

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

LIEUTENANT GENERAL WILLIAM W. SNAVELY

Retired Sep. 1, 1975.

Lieutenant General William Wayne Snavely is the deputy chief of staff for systems and logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for all Air Force logistics support, which includes procurement policy, maintenance engineering, transportation, supply and services and foreign military assistance and sales.

General Snavely was born in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1920. He graduated from Meade's School for Boys, San Marino, Calif., in 1940 and then won an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. He graduated from the academy in 1943 with a bachelor of science degree in military science and engineering. He also holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

After graduation from the academy, General Snavely attended B-24 transition school at Smyrna Field, Tenn., followed by operational training at Westover Field, Mass. In May 1944 he was assigned to the Eighth Air Force in Europe and flew 38 combat missions as pilot, squadron and group operations officer.

He returned to the United States in June 1945, and held various administrative assignments prior to attending aircraft maintenance school at Chanute Field, Ill. He was assigned as maintenance officer at Wright Field, Ohio, in July 1946 and, while assigned there, attended the Air Force Institute of Technology. In August 1948 he entered the University of Southern California at Los Angeles and graduated in January 1950 with a master's degree in business administration. Following graduation, he was transferred to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he served in positions in procurement, production and major systems development and acquisition at Headquarters Air Materiel Command.

In April 1955 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, as Director of Procurement and Production, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Materiel. He returned to the United States in July 1958 and served in command positions at the Ballistics Missile Division (later redesignated Ballistic Missiles Center), at Inglewood and Los Angeles, Calif.

He attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., from August 1962 to August 1963, and then was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force as deputy director of production, office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Systems and Logistics. During this assignment, he attended the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.

In July 1965 he was assigned to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Procurement) as director for procurement policy. He became vice commander, Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area, in June 1968.

He assumed duties as deputy chief of staff for plans, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in July 1969; and when the command was reorganized in August 1969, he became deputy chief of staff for materiel management.

In December 1971, General Snavely returned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, as assistant deputy chief of staff, systems and logistics, and in January 1973 became deputy chief of staff for systems and logistics.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He is a command pilot.

General Snavely's hometown is Glendale, Calif.

He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general effective Feb. 1, 1973, with date of rank Feb. 1, 1973.

(Current as of Sept. 1, 1974)