View source for Chuck Horner

{{Short description|United States Air Force general}}
{{other people|Charles Horner}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Charles A. Horner
|image= Chuck Horner (color).jpg
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= General Charles A. Horner
|nickname= Chuck
|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1936|10|19}}
|birth_place= [[Davenport, Iowa]], U.S.
|death_date= 
|death_place= 
|placeofburial= 
|allegiance= United States
|branch= [[United States Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 1958–1994
|rank= [[General (United States)|General]]
|servicenumber= 
|unit= 
|commands= [[Air Force Space Command]]<br/>[[North American Aerospace Defense Command]]<br/>[[United States Air Forces Central Command]]<br/>[[9th Air Force]]
|battles= [[Vietnam War]]<br/>[[Gulf War]]
|awards= {{nowrap|[[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]] (3)}}<br/>[[Silver Star]] (2)<br/>[[Legion of Merit]]<br/>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br/>[[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]] (2)<br/>[[Air Medal]] (11)<br/>[[Aerial Achievement Medal]]<br/>[[Air Force Commendation Medal]] (4)
|relations=
|laterwork=author
}}
[[File:LT. GEN. Charles A. Horner 1991.jpg|thumb|Lieutenant General Charles A. Horner in 1991]]

'''Charles Albert Horner''' (born October 19, 1936) is a retired [[United States Air Force]] [[four-star rank|four-star]] [[General (United States)|general]]. He was born in [[Davenport, Iowa]] and attended the [[University of Iowa]], as part of the Air Force [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps]] program. On June 13, 1958, Horner was commissioned into the [[Air Force Reserve]]. During the [[Vietnam War]], he flew in combat as a [[Wild Weasel]] pilot and received the [[Silver Star]]. During [[Gulf War#Operation Desert Shield|Operation Desert Shield]] and [[Operation Desert Storm]], he commanded the air forces of the [[Coalition of the Gulf War|coalition]], and he additionally briefly served as Commander-in-Chief&nbsp;— Forward of [[United States Central Command]] while General [[Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.]], the commander of all coalition forces, was still in the United States. He currently serves on the board of directors for the [[United States Institute of Peace]].

==Military career==
Horner was born in [[Davenport, Iowa]], on October 19, 1936. He entered the [[United States Air Force]] through the [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]] program. He was commissioned in the [[Air Force Reserve]] on June 13, 1958, just before his graduation from the [[University of Iowa]] and was awarded pilot wings in November 1959 and was resworn with a regular Air Force commission in 1962.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|p=38}}</ref> He has commanded a tactical training wing, a fighter wing, two air divisions and a numbered Air Force. While Commander of [[9th Air Force]], he also commanded [[United States Central Command Air Forces]], in command of all United States and allied air assets during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.<ref name=USAFbio/>

Horner is a command pilot with more than 5,300 flying hours in a variety of fighter aircraft. During the [[Vietnam War]] he flew 41 combat missions over [[North Vietnam]] in the [[F-105 Thunderchief]] during a tour. He later flew more than 70 combat missions as an F-105 [[Wild Weasel]] pilot, deliberately drawing anti-aircraft fire to identify and destroy North Vietnamese defenses.<ref name=USAFbio/>

After primary flight training at [[Lackland AFB]], jet training at [[Laredo AFB]], gunnery training at [[Williams AFB]], top-off training and [[F-100D Super Sabre]] transition training at [[Nellis AFB]], Horner's first operational assignment was in October 1960 with the [[48th Fighter Wing]] at [[RAF Lakenheath]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|pp=42–54}}</ref> In 1963, Horner was reassigned to the [[4th Tactical Fighter Wing]] and [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], where he flew the F-105.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|p=67}}</ref> From April through August 1965, Horner was assigned as an F-105 pilot at [[Korat AB]] in Thailand, flying missions over North Vietnam.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|pp=75–99}}</ref> From August 1965 to 1967, Horner returned to Nellis AFB as an F-105 instructor, becoming involved in a number of projects involving other aircraft and undergoing F-105 Wild Weasel training. In 1967, he returned to Korat AB, flying both Wild Weasel and night radar bombing missions.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|pp=108–111}}</ref>

Horner returned to Nellis AFB in August 1967 where, after initial assignment to the Combat Crew Training Wing, he ended up flying as an instructor at the [[USAF Weapons School|Fighter Weapons School]]. In March 1968, he joined the new Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis. From 1970 to 1972 he was assigned as a staff officer to [[Tactical Air Command]] (TAC) headquarters at [[Langley AFB]], followed by four months of post-graduate work at the [[College of William and Mary]], where he earned his [[Master of Business Administration]]. This was followed by a three-year assignment at [[The Pentagon]] and subsequent assignment to the [[National War College]] at Seymore Johnson AFB.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|pp=118–132}}</ref>

In January 1977, Horner participated in his first [[Exercise Red Flag|Red Flag]] exercise.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|p=152}}</ref> His next assignment was to [[Luke AFB]], as deputy commander of the [[58th Fighter Wing]]. In 1980, he was reassigned to Nellis as wing commander of the [[474th Tactical Fighter Wing]], which was equipped with [[F-4 Phantom|F-4D Phantoms]] but scheduled to transition to [[F-16|F-16 Fighting Falcons]]. TAC Commander General [[Wilbur L. Creech]] kept moving Horner; who commanded at four different bases, two air divisions, the [[Air Defense Weapons Center]], and finally [[Ninth Air Force]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Clancy|Horner|1999|pp=132–159}}</ref>

Horner was Commander in Chief of [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] and the [[United States Space Command]]; and Commander of [[Air Force Space Command]], [[Peterson Air Force Base]], Colorado from 1992 to 1994. He was responsible for the aerospace defense of the United States and Canada, and the exploitation and control of space for national purposes through a network of satellites and ground stations around the world.<ref name=USAFbio>{{Citation|url= http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5859|title= Biographies : General Charles A. Horner|publisher= United States Air Force|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090710004200/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5859|archive-date= 2009-07-10}}</ref>

==Other work==
{{external media| float = right| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?123426-1/every-man-tiger Presentation by Horner and Clancy to the National Press Club on ''Every Man a Tiger'', May 18, 1999], [[C-SPAN]]}} 
Horner co-wrote ''[[Every Man a Tiger]]'' with [[Tom Clancy]]. In 2004, Horner served on a Pentagon team that looked into detainee abuse.

The United States Air Force awards a General Charles A. Horner "Tiger Award" to one officer and one enlisted individual assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force annually [https://web.archive.org/web/20060526104552/http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/pubfiles/14af/36/14afi36-2801/14afi36-2801.pdf (.pdf)]. He currently resides in [[Lake Lorraine, Florida]].

Horner is on the Honorary Capital Campaign Committee for the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association. They are committed to build The [[National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial]] at 23rd Streets and Constitution Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C. by 2021. This will be the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm.

==Education==
*1958 Bachelor of Arts degree, University of Iowa, Iowa City
*1967 [[Squadron Officer School]], [[Maxwell AFB, Alabama]]
*1972 Master of Business Administration degree, [[College of William and Mary]], Williamsburg, Virginia
*1972 [[Armed Forces Staff College]], Norfolk, Virginia
*1974 [[Industrial College of the Armed Forces]], Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
*1976 [[National War College]], Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

==Assignments==
*October 1958 – June 1959, student, officer preflight training, [[Spence AFB, Georgia]]
*June 1959 – October 1960, student, pilot training, [[Laredo AFB, Texas]]
*October&nbsp;— November 1960, student, F-100 combat crew training, [[Luke AFB, Arizona]], and [[Nellis AFB, Nevada]]
*November 1960 – December 1963, F-100 pilot, [[492d Tactical Fighter Squadron]], [[Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath]], England
*December 1963 – December 1965, F-105 pilot, [[4th Tactical Fighter Wing]], [[Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina]]
*June 1965 – December 1965, temporary duty as F-105 pilot, [[388th Tactical Fighter Wing]], [[Korat Royal Thai AFB]], Thailand
*December 1965 – May 1967, F-105 instructor pilot, Nellis AFB, Nevada
*May 1967 – September 1967, F-105 Wild Weasel pilot, Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
*September 1967 – October 1969, F-105 instructor pilot, Nellis AFB, Nevada, then liaison officer, Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis AFB, Nevada
*October 1969 – January 1971, air operations staff officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, [[Langley AFB, Virginia]]
*January 1971 – January 1972, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
*January 1972 – August 1975, air operations officer, later, Chief of the Force Branch in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, [[Air Staff (United States)|Headquarters U.S. Air Force]], Washington, D.C.
*August 1975 – June 1976, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
*June 1976 – March 1979, Deputy Commander for Operations, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
*March 1979 – August 1979, Vice Commander, [[58th Tactical Training Wing]], Luke AFB, Arizona
*August 1979 – May 1980, Commander, [[405th Tactical Training Wing]], Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
*May 1980 – August 1981, Commander, [[474th Tactical Fighter Wing]], Nellis AFB, Nevada
*August 1981 – May 1983, Commander, [[833d Air Division]], [[Holloman AFB, New Mexico]]
*May 1983 – October 1983, Commander, 23d North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, and Tactical Air Command Air Division, [[Tyndall AFB, Florida]]
*October 1983 – May 1985, Commander, Air Force Air Defense Weapons Center, [[Tyndall AFB, Florida]]
*May 1985 – March 1987, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters [[Tactical Air Command]], Langley AFB, Virginia
*March 1987 – June 1992, Commander, [[Ninth Air Force]], and Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces, [[Shaw AFB, South Carolina]]. He commanded U.S. and allied air operations for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia from August 1990 until his return to Shaw AFB in April 1991.
*June 1992 – September 1994, Commander in Chief, [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] and [[U.S. Space Command]]; Commander, [[Air Force Space Command]], [[Peterson AFB, Colorado]]
*September 30, 1994, Retired from active duty.

==Flight information==
*Rating: Command pilot
*Flight hours: More than 5,300
*Aircraft flown: [[F-100 Super Sabre|F-100]], [[F-105]], [[F-4 Phantom II|F-4]], [[F-15 Eagle|F-15]], [[F-16]]
*Pilot wings from: [[Laredo Air Force Base]], [[Texas]]

==Awards and decorations==
{|
|[[File:COMMAND PILOT WINGS.png|150px]]
|[[United States Aviator Badge|U.S. Air Force Command Pilot Badge]]
|-
|[[File:USAF - Occupational Badge - Space and Missile.svg|80px]]
|Basic [[Space and Missile Operations Badge]]
|}
{|
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]] with two bronze [[oak leaf cluster]]s
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Silver Star]] with oak leaf cluster
|-
|[[File:Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Legion of Merit]]
|-
|[[File:Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]] with oak leaf cluster
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=10|type=oak|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Air Medal]] with ten oak leaf clusters
|-
|[[File:Aerial Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Aerial Achievement Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Air Force Commendation Medal]] with three oak leaf clusters
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=AF_Presidential_Unit_Citation_Ribbon.png|width=80}}
|[[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Air Force Presidential Unit Citation]] with oak leaf cluster
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=oak|name=Outstanding Unit ribbon|width=80}}
|[[Outstanding Unit Award|Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]] with silver oak leaf cluster
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|name=Organizational Excellence ribbon|width=80}}
|[[Organizational Excellence Award|Air Force Organizational Excellence Award]] with two oak leaf clusters
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Combat Readiness Medal ribbon|width=80}}
|[[Combat Readiness Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|name=National Defense Service Medal ribbon|width=80}}
|[[National Defense Service Medal]] with one bronze [[service star]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expedtionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]] with two service stars
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Vietnam Service Medal]] with service star
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg|width=80}}
|[[Southwest Asia Service Medal]] with three service stars
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Overseas Service Ribbon#Air Force|Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=U.S. Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Overseas Service Ribbon#Air Force|Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=8|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Longevity Service ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Air Force Longevity Service Award]] with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=USAF Marksmanship ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Marksmanship Ribbon|Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Air Force Training Ribbon.svg|width=80}}
|[[Air Force Training Ribbon]]
|-
|[[File:Order_of_Bahrain,_1st_class.png|80px]]
|Khalifiyyeh Order of Bahrain, Grand Cross
|-
|[[File:King Faisal Award, 2d Class Ribbon.png|80px]]
|King Faisal Order, Officer
|-
|[[File:Grand Cross Military Merit Order UAE.png|80px]]
|United Arab Emirates Military Merit Order, Grand Cross
|-
|[[File:Legion Honneur Officier ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Legion of Honour]], Officer (France)
|-
|[[File:CAN Meritorious Service Cross (military division) ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Meritorious Service Cross]], Military Division (Canada)
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Nicaraguan Medal of Military Merit.png|width=80}}
|Medal of Merit (Nicaragua) with bronze star
|-
|[[File:Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|80px]]
|[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]]
|-
|[[File:Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)]]
|-
|[[File:Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|80px]]
|[[Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)]]
|}

==Other achievements==
*1991 U.S. News Trophy
*1991 History of Aviation Award
*1991 Maxwell A. Kriendler Memorial Award
*1991 Aviation Achievement Award
*1991 Air Force Order of the Sword
*1991 Aviation Week and Space Technology's Aerospace Laureate
*1992 National Veteran's Award

==Promotion dates==
*[[Second Lieutenant#United States|Second Lieutenant]] June 13, 1958
*[[First Lieutenant#United States|First Lieutenant]] June 12, 1960
*[[Captain (United States)|Captain]] October 1, 1963
*[[Major (United States)|Major]] June 1, 1969
*[[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] November 1, 1973
*[[Colonel]] February 1, 1975
*[[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] August 1, 1982
*[[Major general (United States)|Major General]] July 1, 1985
*[[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] May 1, 1987
*[[General (United States)|General]] July 1, 1992

==Notes==
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{Citation|title=Every Man a Tiger: The Gulf War Air Campaign|last1=Clancy|first1=Tom|last2=Horner|first2=Chuck|publisher=Putnam|year=1999|isbn=978-0-399-14493-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-LRtAAAAMAAJ}}

==External links==
*{{C-SPAN|18120}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Horner, Chuck}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Davenport, Iowa]]
[[Category:United States Air Force generals]]
[[Category:United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:United States Air Force personnel of the Gulf War]]
[[Category:Military leaders of the Gulf War]]
[[Category:College of William & Mary alumni]]
[[Category:University of Iowa alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:People from Okaloosa County, Florida]]
[[Category:People from Fort Walton Beach, Florida]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States)]]
[[Category:Phi Delta Theta members]]