Jimmie Vick Adams (born May 1, 1936) is a retired four-star

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

in 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). He served as commander in chief,

Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PAC ...

(CINCPACAF) from 1991 to 1993.

Education and early life

Adams was born in

Prichard, Alabama Prichard is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 19,322 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and was estimated to be 18,816 in 2023. Prichard borders the north side of Mobile, Ala ...

, in 1936. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

in 1957 and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

in 1963. Adams completed

Squadron Officer School Squadron Officer School (SOS), is a 5.5-week-long Professional Military Education (PME) course for U.S. Air Force and Space Force Captains, Department of the Air Force Civilian (DAFC) equivalents and International Officers. It fulfills the ...

in 1964,

Industrial College of the Armed Forces The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University (Washington, D.C.), National Defens ...

in 1978 and the Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course in 1987. He is a member of

Theta Chi Theta Chi () is an international men's college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856, at Norwich University then-located in Norwich, Vermont. It has initiated more than 215,000 members and has over 8,900 collegiate members across North A ...

fraternity.

Military career

He was commissioned in the USAF through the

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps The Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFROTC) is one of the three primary commissioning sources for officers in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, the other two being the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA ...

(AFROTC) and entered active duty in January 1958. Upon completion of pilot training at

Webb Air Force Base Webb Air Force Base , previously named Big Spring Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force facility of the Air Training Command that operated from 1951 to 1977 in West Texas within the current city limits of Big Spring. Webb AFB was a maj ...

, Texas, Adams flew with the

437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 414th Fighter Group at Oxnard Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1969. The squadron (aviation), s ...

Oxnard Air Force Base Oxnard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, in the city of Camarillo, California. History Camarillo Airport was established in 1942, when the California State Highway Department built an auxiliary landing field with a runw ...

, California, until January 1962. After receiving his master's degree, he was assigned as an engineer and test pilot with the

Air Force Weapons Laboratory The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct-energy based aerospace warf ...

Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator C ...

, New Mexico, from August 1963 to May 1966. He then served as an

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...

aircraft commander, fighter weapons instructor and flight commander with the

78th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 78th Attack Squadron (78 ATKS) is an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) unit under the 926th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Tenth Air Force (10 AF) at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 ATKS condu ...

, Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge, England. In August 1969 he was assigned as an F-4 aircraft commander to the

25th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 25th Fighter Squadron is part of the US Air Force's 51st Operations Group, 51st Fighter Wing, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions. Mission ...

and, later, as chief, tactics officer, for the

8th Tactical Fighter Wing The 8th Fighter Wing is a fighter aircraft unit of the United States Air Force. It is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force. Seventh Air Force falls under Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). The Wing ...

Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility located near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 488 km (303 miles) northeast of Bangkok. The Laos border is about dire ...

, Thailand. From August 1970 to June 1973 he was a member of the AFROTC staff at

. He then transferred to Headquarters

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...

(TAC),

Langley Air Force Base 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 1 ...

, Virginia, as a requirements officer. He was assigned to

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an F4F Wildcat crash near Norbeck, Mary ...

, North Carolina in June 1975 as commander of the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and then as special assistant to the deputy commander for operations with the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, also at Seymour Johnson. After graduation from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in July 1978, Adams served as deputy chief, then as chief, of the Tactical Requirements Division, Headquarters USAF, Washington, D.C. In November 1979 he returned to TAC headquarters as assistant deputy chief of staff for requirements and remained there until assuming command of the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing,

England Air Force Base England Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Louisiana, located northwest of Alexandria and about northwest of New Orleans. Originally known as Alexandria Army Air Base, on 23 June 1955 the facility was renamed England A ...

, Louisiana in March 1981. Adams was assigned as deputy director for operations and training, plans and operations, USAF headquarters, from April 1983 until February 1984. He then became special assistant for tactical modernization, research, development and acquisition. He was assigned as deputy chief of staff, requirements, TAC headquarters, in August 1985, and assumed command of the

1st Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern & Air Forces Space; 1 AF-AFNORTH & AFSPACE) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission i ...

at Langley in July 1987. In July 1988 he was assigned as TAC vice commander and vice commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces Atlantic. He became deputy chief of staff, plans and operations, USAF Headquarters, in March 1989. He assumed command of Pacific Air Forces in February 1991 and retired from the United States Air Force on February 1, 1993. Adams was a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours, including 141 combat missions. He has flown numerous fighter aircraft, including the

A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 , also infamously known under the nickname , is a single-seat, twinjet, twin-turbofan, straight wing, straight-wing, Subsonic aircraft, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Republic ...

F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's des ...

F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

F-89 Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion is an all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the first jet-powered aircraft to be designed for the interceptor role f ...

F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...

F-101 Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration fighte ...

and

F-104 Starfighter The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic interceptor. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the " Century Series" of fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force (USAF), it was developed into an all ...

. His military awards and decorations include the

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force and is presented to airmen and guardians to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to the United S ...

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 ...

, Distinguished Flying Cross with two

oak leaf clusters An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

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 three oak leaf clusters,

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 seven oak leaf clusters, and

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 ...

with oak leaf cluster. *

* Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters *

with three oak leaf clusters *

with seven oak leaf clusters *

with oak leaf cluster

Post military career

After retiring from the military, Adams became senior vice president, Washington operations, of

L-3 Communications L3 Technologies, formerly L-3 Communications Holdings, was an American company that supplied command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ( C3ISR) systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training ...

. He also sits on the board of directors of the

National Defense Industrial Association The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) is a trade association for the United States government and defense industrial base. It is an 501(c)(3) educational organization. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia. NDIA was establi ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Jimmie V. 1936 births Living people United States Air Force generals United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War People from Prichard, Alabama Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Auburn University alumni Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

Education and early life

Military career

Post military career

See also

References

External links