General Charles F. "Chuck" Wald

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

GENERAL CHARLES F. "CHUCK" WALD

Gen. Charles F. "Chuck" Wald is Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany.

General Wald earned his commission through the Air Force ROTC program in 1971. He has served as an O-2A forward air controller in Vietnam, a T-37 instructor pilot and an F-15 flight commander. Other duties include assistant squadron operations officer, operations officer, Chief of the U.S. Air Force Combat Terrorism Center, Assistant Executive Officer for the Air Force Chief of Staff, Director of Operations, support group commander, operations group commander, Executive Officer to the Director of Operations, and U.S. Senior National Representative, Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe.

General Wald commanded the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for National Defense Review. He was the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and served on the Joint Staff as the Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy. Prior to assuming his current position, the general commanded 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Shaw AFB, S.C. General Wald is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours, including more than 450 combat hours over Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iraq and Bosnia.

EDUCATION

1971 Bachelor of arts degree in pre-law, North Dakota State University

1975 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

1982 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

1982 Master of political science degree in international relations, Troy State University

1990 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

1993 Program for Senior Officials in National Security, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. February 1971-January 1972, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams AFB, Ariz.

2. May 1972-February 1973, forward air controller, Da Nang AB, South Vietnam

3. May 1973-May 1976, instructor pilot and wing flight examiner, Air Training Command, Craig AFB, Ala.

4. December 1976-August 1978, project officer, Operational Systems Engineering Branch, Norton AFB, Calif.

5. August 1978-August 1981, F-15A aircraft commander, instructor pilot and flight commander, 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany

6. August 1981-September 1982, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

7. September 1982-August 1985, flight commander, assistant operations and operations officer, 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.

8. August 1985-August 1989, Chief, Strategic North Atlantic Treaty Organization Branch; later, Chief, Strategic and Middle East-Africa Branch; later, Chief, U.S. Air Force Combat Terrorism Center; later, assistant executive officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C.

9. August 1989-July 1990, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

10. July 1990-March 1993, Deputy Commander for Operations, 86th Tactical Fighter Wing; later, Commander, 86th Support Group; later, Commander, 86th Operations Group, Ramstein AB, Germany

11. March 1993-September 1993, executive officer to Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, Boerfink AB, Germany

12. September 1993-May 1995, executive officer to Director of Operations and U.S. Senior National Representative, Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany

13. May 1995-July 1997, Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy

14. July 1997-January 1998, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for National Defense Review, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

15. January 1998-October 1998, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

16. October 1998-January 2000, Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

17. January 2000-November 2001, Commander, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Shaw AFB, S.C.

18. November 2001-December 2002, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

19. December 2002-present, Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Command pilot

Flight hours: More than 3,200, including 450 combat hours

Aircraft flown: O-2A, T-37, T-38, F-16 and F-15

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster

Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster

Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster

Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster

Aerial Achievement Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Presidential Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster

Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters

Combat Readiness Medal

National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Vietnam Service Medal with bronze star

Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star

Armed Forces Service Medal