Lieutenant General Harry A. Goodall is
commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and deputy
commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern
Area, with headquarters in Naples, Italy.
General
Goodall was born in 1932, in Follansbee, W.Va., and graduated
from Wellsburg (W.Va.) High School. He earned a bachelor of
science degree from the University of Nebraska in 1965, a
master of science degree in business administration from
George Washington University in 1967 and a master of science
degree in public administration from Auburn University in
1974. He completed Squadron Officer School in 1962, Air
Command and Staff College in 1967, and Air War College as a
distinguished graduate in 1974.
The general began his
military career in November 1949. He had eight years' enlisted
service, including duties as a first sergeant, in several
commands and received his commission from Officer Candidate
School in December 1957. General Goodall won his wings in
January 1959 and went on to fighter training at Perrin Air
Force Base, Texas. His first operational assignment was with
the 1st Fighter Wing at Selfridge Air Force Base, Mich., as
assistant operations officer and test pilot. He flew
operational fighter missions from Florida during the Cuban
missile crisis.
General
Goodall transferred to the 325th Fighter Wing at McChord Air
Force Base, Wash., in March 1964. During the next two years he
spent more than 100 days on temporary duty in Alaska,
participating in Project White Shoes, an F-106 deployment to
intercept Soviet aircraft over Alaskan territories.
From August 1967 to September 1969 General Goodall was
assigned to the 405th Tactical Fighter Wing in the
Philippines. He completed his Southeast Asia tour of duty
flying missions from Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base,
Thailand, and Da Nang and Bien Hoa air bases, Republic of
Vietnam. He then returned to the United States as chief of the
Fighter Branch in the Directorate of Operations, Office of the
Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S.
Air Force, Washington, D.C.
In June 1974 he was
assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ubon Royal Thai Air
Force Base, Thailand. His job was to phase out all operations,
including aircraft and support equipment. Under his command,
base personnel strength was reduced from 3,000 to a small
cadre of people needed to support the evacuation of Cambodia.
In February 1975 General Goodall became commander of the 56th
Special Operations Wing at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force
Base, Thailand. During his command the wing was the principal
combat unit tasked in the evacuation of Cambodia (Eagle Pull).
The operation was conducted from Ubon, the base he had
prepared prior to assignment to Nakhon Phanom. The evacuation
of Saigon (Frequent Wind) followed and included evacuating the
president of South Vietnam, the U.S. ambassador and others.
The rescue of the USS Mayaguez and assault on Koh Tang Island
in May 1975 marked the last official operation of the wing
under General Goodall's command.
The general went to
Alaska in July 1975 as vice commander, Alaskan Air Command,
deputy commander, Alaskan North American Air Defense Command
Region; and commander, Air Force forces. He exercised command
over the full spectrum of tactical aircraft and associated
command and control systems during many arctic and summer
field exercises involving both air and ground forces.
General Goodall returned to the Pentagon in July 1977 as
military assistant to the undersecretary of the Air Force, Dr.
Hans Mark. He served as assistant deputy director, and deputy
director, plans and policy for international negotiations,
Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from April 1978 to
March 1980. In addition to NATO theater nuclear force
modernization, he worked on the full spectrum of arms control
negotiations. The president appointed him deputy U.S.
commissioner of the U.S.-Soviet Strategic Arms Limitation
Talks Standing Consultative Commission in April 1978. During
the final six months of this appointment, he served as
commissioner of the U.S. component of the commission with
temporary rank of ambassador.
From March 1980 to
February 1981 the general served as deputy director of plans
in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Plans
and Readiness at Air Force headquarters, concurrently serving
as the U.S. member of the E-3A (AWACS) NATO Airborne Early
Warning Program board of directors. General Goodall then
became chief of staff for 4th Allied Tactical Air Force at
Heidelberg, West Germany. In August 1982 he was named
commander of the 17th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces Europe,
concurrently holding two NATO commands: commander, Allied
Tactical Operations Center, Sembach Air Base, West Germany;
and commander, Allied Air Defense Sector 111, Boerfink, West
Germany.
From September 1984 to April 1987 General
Goodall was deputy commander in chief, U.S. Readiness Command,
and vice director, Joint Deployment Agency, at MacDill Air
Force Base, Fla. He then became deputy commander in chief of
the U.S. Special Operations Command, which was created by act
of Congress to oversee all special operations forces and
activities of the Department of Defense. He assumed his
present duties in June 1988.
A command pilot, General
Goodall has more than 4,000 flying hours in various U.S. Air
Force fighter and special operations aircraft, as well as
fighter aircraft of allied nations. He flew more than 200
combat missions in Southeast Asia, 42 over North Vietnam. His
military decorations and awards include the Defense
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Defense
Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf
clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal,
Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 12 oak leaf
clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster,
Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force
Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and two oak leaf
clusters and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm. He
also has been awarded the flying wings of the German Luftwaffe
and is the recipient of the Freedom Foundation's George
Washington Honor Medal. The general wears the Air Force
Missile and Parachutist badges.
He was promoted to
lieutenant general Sept. 1, 1984, with same date of rank.
Lieutenant General Goodall
retired from the Air Force on February 1, 1991.
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