Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Buster Cleveland Glosson (born March 14, 1942) was the deputy

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

for plans and operations at the headquarters of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

(USAF) in

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He was responsible to the

secretary of the Air Force The secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the secretary of the Department of the Air Force, (SecAF, or SAF/OS) is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United Sta ...

and

for the planning, operations, requirements and force structure necessary to support military operations. As the USAF operations deputy to the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and ...

, he determined operational requirements, concepts, doctrine, strategy, training and the assets necessary to support national security objectives and military strategy.

Education

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

in 1965. He attended the

Armed Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1977 and the

National War College In the United States, the National War College (NWC) is a school within the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National ...

Fort Lesley J. McNair Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C ...

, Washington, D.C., in 1981.

Career

Glosson entered the USAF in 1965 as a distinguished graduate of the

Reserve Officer Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

program. He flew combat missions as a flight commander in both

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

. He commanded the 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron and two tactical fighter wings. During the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

, he commanded the

14th Air Division (Provisional) The 1990–1991 Gulf War was the last major United States Air Force combat operation of the 20th Century. The command and control of allied forces deployed to the Middle East initially as part of Operation Desert Shield, later engaging in comb ...

and was director of campaign plans for

U.S. Central Command Air Forces The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

(USCENTAF), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this function, he was responsible for planning the bombardment of Baghdad on January 17, 1991, that resulted in the near total destruction of the Iraqi command and control structure within the first hours of the air campaign. The

Amiriyah shelter bombing The Amiriyah Shelter Bombing was an aerial bombing attack that killed at least 408 civilians on 13 February 1991 during the Gulf War, when an air-raid shelter ("Public Shelter No. 25") in the Al-A'amiriya, Amiriyah neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, ...

on February 13 that year, that killed over 400 Iraqi civilians, was also carried out under his responsibility. He is a

command pilot U.S. Air Force aeronautical ratings are military aviation skill standards established and awarded by the United States Air Force for commissioned officers participating in "regular and frequent flight",The standard by which flight status has be ...

with more than 3,600 flying hours primarily in the F-4, F-15C and

F-15E The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. Intended for the Dual-Role Fighter (DRF) program (initially called Enhanced Tactical Fi ...

. Glosson retired on July 1, 1994. After his retirement, Glosson wrote a book titled ''War with Iraq: critical lessons'' about the Gulf War and the lessons that in his view can be learned from it.

Assignments

*March 1965 – July 1966, student, pilot training,

Moody Air Force Base Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is mostly in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with a portion in Lanier County. Georgia State Route 125 runs through the west ...

, Georgia *July 1966 – December 1967, instructor pilot,

T-38 T38 or T-38 may refer to: Aviation * Allison T38, an American turboprop aircraft engine * Northrop T-38 Talon, an American jet trainer aircraft * Slingsby T.38 Grasshopper, a British training glider Other uses * T38 (classification), a disabi ...

, 3500th Pilot Training Squadron, Air Training Command,

Reese Air Force Base Reese Air Force Base was a former U.S. Army Air Base located near Lubbock, Texas. It was closed in 1997 and converted into a research center. History Reese Air Force Base began as the Lubbock Army Air Corps Advanced Flying School in 1942. It ...

, Texas *December 1967 – September 1971, T-38 instructor, academic instructor and flight examiner; assistant operations officer, then operations officer, 3250th Fighter Training Squadron, Air Training Command, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida *September 1971 – April 1972, student, USAF Operational Training Course, F-4, 4435th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tactical Air Command, George Air Force Base, California *April 1972 – September 1972, aircraft commander, F-4E, 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Pacific Air Forces,

Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility in central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province. Units Takhli is the home of the Royal Thai ...

, Thailand *September 1972 – April 1973, air operations officer,

366th Tactical Fighter Wing The 366th Fighter Wing (366 FW) is a fighter wing of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Units The wing comprises four groups: the 366th Operations Group, 366th Maintenance Group, 3 ...

, Pacific Air Forces, Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand *April 1973 – September 1974, chief, fighter and

forward air controller Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

, standardization and evaluation, Headquarters 13th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces,

Clark Air Base Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located west of Angeles City, and about northwest of Metro Manila. It was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and, before that, the U.S. Army, from 1903 to 1991. The base cov ...

, Philippines *September 1974 – July 1977, executive officer to the director; special assistant to the director, legislative liaison, Washington, D.C. *July 1977 – January 1978, student, Armed Forces Staff College, NDU, Norfolk, Virginia *January 1978 – August 1978, student, USAF Operational Training Course, F-4D, 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tactical Air Command, Homestead Air Force Base, Florida *August 1978 – August 1979, chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 56th Tactical Fighter Wing, Tactical Air Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida *August 1979 – June 1980, executive officer to the commander, USAF TFWC, TAC, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada *June 1980 – August 1980, chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Tactical Air Command, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada *August 1980 – July 1981, commander, 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron, TAC, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada *July 1981 – June 1982, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. *June 1982 – July 1983, chief, Tactical Forces Division, deputy director for forces, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *July 1983 – August 1984, chief, Programs Division, Deputy Director for Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *August 1984 – July 1986, vice commander, then commander, 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Tactical Air Command, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia *July 1986 – June 1987, commander,

1st Tactical Fighter Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its 1s ...

, Headquarters Tactical Air Command,

Langley Air Force Base, Virginia Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 19 ...

*June 1987 – September 1988, deputy chief of staff, plans and programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe,

Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...

, West Germany *September 1988 – July 1990, deputy assistant secretary of defense (legislative affairs), OSD, Washington, D.C. *July 1990 – August 1990, deputy commander, Joint Task Force Middle East,

USCENTCOM The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...

*August 1990 – May 1991, CENTAF director of campaign plans, USCENTCOM, and commander, 14th AD (Provisional), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia *May 1991 – May 1992, director, Legislative Liaison, and director, AF Issues Team, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. *June 1992 – 1994, deputy chief of staff for plans and operations, Washington, D.C.

Flight information

Glosson is rated as a Command pilot with more than 3,600 flight hours having flown: F-4, F-5, F-15C,

and

Major awards and decorations

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation, state or country. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in act ...

Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

with two oak leaf clusters * Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon

Distinguished Flying Cross *

Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon

Defense Meritorious Service Medal The Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) is an award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. In the order of precedence of the United States Armed Forces, it is worn between the Purple ...

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: Singapore *Pingat Jasa Gemilang, or Meritorious Services Me ...

with two oak leaf clusters * Air Medal ribbon

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establi ...

with three oak leaf clusters *

Air Force Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fift ...

* Presidential Unit Citation * Outstanding Unit ribbon

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...

with "V" device and two oak leaf clusters *

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...

with service star * Vietnam Service Medal ribbon

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. ...

with service star * Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry () is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal was created on August 15, 1 ...

with Palm *

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal (), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949 and awarded during the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War ...

* Kuwait Liberation Medal

Publication

*"Impact of Precision Weapons on Air Combat Operations," '' Air Power Journal'', Summer 1993. *''War with Iraq: critical lessons'' Glosson Family Foundation, 2003

Promotion dates

* Second Lieutenant January 23, 1965 *

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

September 6, 1966 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

May 25, 1968 *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

August 1, 1976 * Lieutenant Colonel December 1. 1979 *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

October 1. 1982 * Brigadier General July 1, 1988 * Major General June 1, 1991 *

June 1, 1992

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glosson, Buster 1942 births Living people United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal United States Air Force personnel of the Gulf War United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Air Medal American recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) National War College alumni Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal