Brigadier General Donald M. Davis

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

BRIGADIER GENERAL DONALD M. DAVIS

Retired July 1, 1979.

Brigadier General Donald M. Davis is U.S. Deputy Chief of Staff, LIVE OAK, with headquarters at SHAPE, Belgium.

General Davis was born in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1928. He enlisted in the Army Reserve Corps at the age of 17, and in 1948 he entered the aviation cadet program. In September 1949 he completed flying training and received his commission as a second lieutenant.

General Davis' initial flying duty was at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., as a B-50 pilot and later he flew the B-47. In August 1957 he completed B-52 training at Castle Air Force Base, Calif., and was assigned to the 717th Bombardment Squadron first at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and later at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.

From September 1962 to July 1963, General Davis attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Upon graduation he resumed flying duties with the 824th Bombardment Squadron at Turner Air Force Base, Ga. While at Turner, he served successively as a B-52D aircraft commander, standardization/evaluation crew commander, chief of the B-52 Standardization Division, and commander of the 824th Squadron. In addition, during 1966, General Davis completed 193 days of temporary duty at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where he led the first B-52 raid into North Vietnam. In February 1967 he was reassigned from Turner to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., as commander of the 51st Bombardment Squadron.

In November 1968 General Davis became assistant chief of the Operations Division for the 4252d Strategic Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Subsequently, he assumed duties as chief of the Operations Division and later became assistant deputy commander for operations. General Davis moved to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in April 1970, as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, Headquarters 8th Air Force. In July 1971 he was sent to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., where he was a senior controller in the SAC Command Post.

General Davis was transferred to U-Tapao Airfield, Thailand, in December 1971 as vice commander of the 307th Strategic Wing. From June 1972 until February 1973, he commanded the 307th Wing. This period included the crucial Linebacker II operations against North Vietnam in December 1972.

In March 1973 General Davis was assigned as commander of the 40th Air Division, SAC, with headquarters at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich. In February 1975 he assumed duty as deputy director for operations (National Military Command Center), Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

General Davis was assigned to his present position in June 1976.

He is a command pilot with more than 10,000 hours of flying time, the majority of which have been logged in various models of the B-52. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general on Feb. 1, 1974, with same date of rank.

(Current as of November 1976)