Michael Patrick Chamberlain Carns (June 23, 1937 – October 11, 2023) was a
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 the
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The vice chief of staff of the Air Force (VCSAF) is the second-highest-ranking military officer in the United States Air Force. If the chief of staff of the Air Force (CSAF) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, then the VCSAF assumes ...
from 1991 to 1994.
Early life
Carns was born in
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major United States Army, U.S. ...
. After graduating from
St. John's College High School
St. John's College High School (SJC, SJCHS, or St. John's) is a Catholic high school in Washington, D.C. Established in 1851, it is the third oldest Christian Brothers school in the United States, and was one of the oldest Army JROTC schools u ...
,
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 ...
in 1955, he went to the
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, Air Force Academy Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. I ...
and graduated with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in 1959.
After completing his B.S. degree, Carns completed primary pilot training in March 1960 at
Graham Air Base
Graham Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in Marianna, Florida. After it was closed in 1960, it was reused as Marianna Municipal Airport.
History
Marianna Army Airfield
The federal government acquired the airport at the ci ...
in
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
and basic pilot training in September 1960 at
Laredo Air Force Base
Laredo Air Force Base, is a since-deactivated Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) installation of the Air Training Command (ATC) in Laredo, Texas. The facility was originally established as Laredo Army Air Field, a World War II U.S. Army Air Fo ...
in
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
.
Career
Following pilot training, Carns served as a flight instructor at Laredo. In 1961, he was appointed Aide to the Commander, Air Reserve Records Center, Denver, Colorado, then Aide to the Commander, 4th Air Force Reserve Region,
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Bexar County, Texas, ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio).
Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the United ...
, Texas, followed by duty as Air Operations Officer at the same base.
Carns completed an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...
degree from
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...
in 1967. After getting his MBA, he was assigned to the
476th Tactical Fighter Squadron,
George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California.
Established by the United States Army Air C ...
, flying
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 ...
s. He transferred to the
40th Tactical Fighter Squadron
The Motorola 68040 ("''sixty-eight-oh-forty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 series, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060, skipping the 68050. In keeping with general Motorola na ...
,
Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, Okaloosa County.
The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test ...
, again flying F-4s in January 1968. From August 1968 to September 1969 he was assigned to the
469th Tactical Fighter Squadron,
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base or Nakhon Ratchasima Royal Thai Air Force Base is a base of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in northeast Thailand, approximately 200 km (125 mi) northeast of Bangkok and about 4 km (2.5 mi) sou ...
in
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, where he flew 200 combat missions in the F-4E during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
.
Carns returned to the U.S. in September 1969
and he was assigned to USAF headquarters as a Plans and Programs Officer, and later, as Aide to the
United States Air Force Chief of Staff. This was followed by tours at
Torrejón Air Base
Torrejón Air Base (Base Aérea de Torrejón de Ardoz) is both a major Spanish Air and Space Force base and the co-located Madrid–Torrejón Airport, a secondary civilian airport for the city and metropolitan area of Madrid, east-northeast of t ...
in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. SHAPE is situated in the villag ...
in
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
and,
RAF Bentwaters
Royal Air Force Bentwaters or more simply RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about northeast of London and east-northeast of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England. Its name was taken fr ...
in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
After completing the British
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest leve ...
in 1977, Carns was assigned to the
81st Tactical Fighter Wing
The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force's largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually. ...
, RAF Bentwaters, as deputy commander for operations.
Carns returned to the U.S. again in March 1979 and took command of the
354th Tactical Fighter Wing
The 354th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force wing that is part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is the host wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force (11 AF).
The wing replaced the 343d Fighter W ...
,
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Early history
On 16 October 1939, Myrtle Beach Town Council agreed that the community "is in dire need of a modern municipal airport". The ...
. He moved to
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloquialism, colloq.) is a United States Air Force military installation, installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts Aerial warfare, air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exerc ...
in October 1980 as commander of the
57th Fighter Weapons Wing
The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deplo ...
. In June 1982 he became director of operations, J-3, Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, later redesignated
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilit ...
,
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
. He became deputy chief of staff for plans, Headquarters
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 ...
,
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) United States Air Force installation, installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel (United States), Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The installation merged ...
in July 1984, and deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence in June 1985. In July 1986 he assumed command of
13th Air Force
The Thirteenth Expeditionary Air Force (13 EAF) is a provisional numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam on the island of Oahu, ...
,
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 ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. In June 1987 he was assigned as deputy commander in chief and chief of staff,
United States Pacific Command
The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region.
It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Lead ...
,
Camp H.M. Smith in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. In September 1989 he became
Director of the Joint Staff
The director of the Joint Staff (DJS) is a three-star officer who assists the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a cabinet of senior military officers within the United States Armed Forces who advise the secretary of defense and the president on milita ...
, Washington, DC. He became the
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The vice chief of staff of the Air Force (VCSAF) is the second-highest-ranking military officer in the United States Air Force. If the chief of staff of the Air Force (CSAF) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, then the VCSAF assumes ...
in May 1991. On May 16, 1991, he was promoted to the rank of general.
Life after retirement from U.S. Air Force
Carns retired from 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 ...
in July 1994. In 1995, Carns was nominated to head the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
. At first Carns accepted but later withdrew. Carns said he was presented with allegations that he had violated U.S. immigration law in providing for a Filipino citizen, Elbino Runas, to come to the United States, and that the Carns family had failed to honor an employment contract with Runas. Runas lived with the Carns family in the Philippines and the family obtained immigration documents to bring him with them to Hawaii. He subsequently moved with the Carns family to Washington, D.C. and stayed with the family until 1992. Carns said he was presented with "groundless, outrageous, tabloid charges" made by Runas about members of Carns' family.
Carns later served as the managing director of a small healthcare firm for one year, followed by over four years as executive director of a New York-based policy research firm that specialized in
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim comprises the lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean. The '' Pacific Basin'' includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geological Pacific Ring of Fire.
List ...
security in the areas of international capital flows and international energy demands.
He was the vice chairman of PrivaSource, Inc., a small software firm specializing in the security and de-identification of large, sensitive databases, in
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is an affluent town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States census, the population of Weston was 11,851.
Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protect ...
. Carns also served on the board of directors fo
VirtualAgility, Inc.an
M-International, Inc.
Carns died on October 11, 2023, at the age of 86. He will be interred at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
.
Awards and decorations
See also
*
List of United States Air Force four-star generals
The rank of general (or ''full general'', or ''four-star general'') is the highest rank normally achievable in the United States Air Force. It ranks above lieutenant general (''three-star general'') and below general of the Air Force (''five-st ...
Notes
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carns, Michael P.C.
1937 births
2023 deaths
Harvard Business School alumni
Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Air Medal
Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Outstanding Achievement Medal
Recipients of the Silver Star
United States Air Force Academy alumni
United States Air Force generals
Vice chiefs of staff of the United States Air Force
St. John's College High School alumni
Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies
People from Junction City, Kansas