Russell C. Davis (born October 22, 1938) is a retired

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

who served as commander of the

District of Columbia National Guard The District of Columbia National Guard is the branch of the United States National Guard based in the District of Columbia. It comprises both the D.C. Army National Guard and the D.C. Air National Guard components. The president of the Unite ...

and

Chief of the National Guard Bureau The chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) is the highest-ranking officer of the National Guard and the head of the National Guard Bureau. The position is a statutory office (), held by a federally recognized commissioned officer who has ser ...

Early life

Russell C. Davis was born in Tuskegee,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

, on October 22, 1938, and graduated from Tuskegee Institute High School. As recounted in a speech at

Simpson College Simpson College is a private Methodist liberal arts college in Indianola, Iowa. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has about 1,250 full-time and 300 part-time students. In addition to the Indianola residential campus, Simpso ...

, Davis's great-great grandfather, a former slave, helped raise money to found what now is known as

Tuskegee University Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was ...

. Davis's grandfather worked with George Washington Carver at Tuskegee, and Davis related that when he was a child attending a nursery school on campus, Carver was still a well-known figure at the school, the "tall man in a lab coat who gave us children candy." He began his military career in 1958 as an

aviation cadet A flight cadet is a military or civilian occupational title that is held by someone who is in training to perform aircrew duties in an airplane. The trainee does not need to become a pilot, as flight cadets may also learn to serve as a bombardi ...

in the

, and he received his commission in 1960. Following pilot training, he was assigned at

Lincoln Air Force Base Lincoln Airport (formerly Lincoln Municipal Airport) is a public/military airport northwest of downtown Lincoln, the state capital, in Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Lincoln Airport Authority and is the second- ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

, and he graduated from the

University of Nebraska Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omaha or UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally kn ...

with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in general education in 1963. After serving as a bomber pilot, he was released from active duty in April, 1965 and joined the Iowa Air National as an interceptor pilot.

Start of National Guard career

Upon release from active duty, Davis joined the 132nd Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard in Des Moines. He served in numerous command and staff positions from squadron pilot to director of operations, and advanced through the ranks to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military 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 colonel was typically in charge ...

. In 1969, Davis completed his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...

degree at

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...

and became an

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

. He actively practiced until 1979, when he went back on active duty with the Air National Guard. Davis graduated from the

Air Command and Staff College The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air Uni ...

in 1973 and the

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. It was renamed on September 6, 2 ...

in 1979.

Later National Guard career

In June, 1979 Davis was appointed as chief of manpower and personnel at the Air National Guard Support Center,

Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

. From March 1980 to January 1982, he was executive officer to the director of the Air National Guard. From February 1982 to July 1990, he commanded the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, and he was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

in December, 1982. Davis was the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

to become a general officer in the Air National Guard. In 1989 Davis graduated from the National and International Security Management Course at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Davis was the assistant for national guard matters for the commander of the Tactical Air Command from July, 1990 to December, 1991. He was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in August, 1990.

D.C. National Guard

In December 1991 Davis was appointed commander of the

. He served in this position until December 1995.

National Guard Bureau

In December 1995 Davis was appointed Vice Chief of the

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was cr ...

. He held this post until August, 1998, when he was named chief of the National Guard Bureau and promoted to

. Davis was the first African-American to serve as NGB chief, and he held the position until retiring on November 1, 2002. At the time of his retirement, Davis was the last member of the U.S. Air Force Aviation Cadet program to still be serving on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Boyne, Walter J.
They Wanted Wings
. ''

Air Force Magazine The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is "t ...

'', February 2009.

Retirement

Davis was active in several educational and civic endeavors, including serving as member of the Drake University board of trustees and president of National Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. He also works as a consultant in national securities, homeland security/defense, aviation operations and safety, training and development, equal opportunity and diversity and a wide variety of legal issues.Amaani Lyle, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System
Top Guns receive awards at Tuskegee Airmen Inc. convention
August 7, 2009

Education

*1963

degree in general education,

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

, Omaha *1969

degree in law,

, Des Moines, Iowa *1973

, by correspondence *1975 National Security Management Course, by correspondence *1979

Fort Lesley J. McNair Fort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the tip of Greenleaf Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To the peninsula's west is the Washington Chann ...

, Washington, D.C. *1989 National and International Security Management Course,

, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Assignments

* December 1958 – March 1960, undergraduate pilot training,

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 city ...

, Florida and

Vance AFB Vance may refer to: Locations United States *Vance, Alabama, a town * Vance Township, Vermilion County, Illinois * Vance, Mississippi, an unincorporated community *Vance, Nebraska, an unincorporated community * Vance County, North Carolina *Vance ...

, Oklahoma * March 1960 – October 1960, strategic bombardment pilot, 4347th Combat Crew Training Wing,

McConnell AFB McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States., effective 2007-12-20 The airbase was named in ...

, Kansas * October 1960 – April 1965, bomber pilot, 344th Bomber Squadron, Lincoln AFB, Nebraska * April 1965 – September 1968, pilot, 124th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Iowa ANG, Des Moines * September 1968 – September 1970, flight commander, 124th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Iowa National Guard, Des Moines * September 1970 – June 1977, air operations officer, 132nd Tactical Fighter Group, Iowa ANG, Des Moines * June 1977 – October 1978, officer in charge, Command Post, 132nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Iowa ANG, Des Moines * October 1978 – June 1979, deputy commander of operations, Headquarters Iowa ANG, Des Moines * June 1979 – February 1980, deputy chief of manpower and personnel, Air National Guard Support Center,

Andrews AFB Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint Bas ...

, Maryland * March 1980 – January 1982, executive to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. * February 1982 – July 1990, wing commander, 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, District of Columbia ANG, Andrews AFB, Maryland * July 1990 – December 1991, Air National Guard assistant to the commander of Tactical Air Command,

Langley AFB 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 * December 1991 – December 1995, commanding general, District of Columbia National Guard, Washington, D.C. * December 1995 – August 1998, vice chief, NGB, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. * August 1998 – November 2002, chief, NGB, Arlington, Virginia

Flight information

*Rating: Command pilot *Flight hours: More than 4,700 *Aircraft flown:

B-47 The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft. ...

T-33 The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...

, F-89,

F-84 The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...

F-100 F-100 or F100 may refer to: Aerospace and defense * North American F-100 Super Sabre, a fighter aircraft formerly in the service of the United States Air Force * Fokker 100, a regional jet * Pratt & Whitney F100, afterburning turbofan engine * ' ...

A-7 A7, A.7, A 7, A07 or A-7 may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * A7, the A dominant seventh chord used in many rock songs, see dominant seventh chord * A (musical note) * ''A7'' (mixtape), by SCH, 2015 * Avenged Sevenfold, a hard rock/meta ...

F-4 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 originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowe ...

and

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...

Awards and decorations

;Other awards and achievements *1956–1958: University scholar,

*1969: Jury Award,

Drake University Law School Drake University Law School is a professional graduate law school of Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has over 330 full-time students. The school is led by Dean Jerry Anderson. Founded in 1865, Drake Law School is one of t ...

*1984: NAACP Roy Wilkins Achievement Award *1985: Air Force Association Service Award, Air Force Association Headquarters *1985: Tuskegee Airmen Achievement Award *1987: Tuskegee Airmen Achievement and Service Award *1988: Ira Eaker Fellow, Tony Anthony Chapter, AFA *1990: Howard Kacy Flying Safety Award, District of Columbia ANG *1992–1998: Drake University Board of Trustees *2012 Carver Medal,

Effective dates of promotion

References

Attribution

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Russell C. 1938 births Living people Air Command and Staff College alumni Chiefs of the National Guard Bureau Drake University Law School alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni Harvard University alumni Iowa lawyers Military personnel from Tuskegee, Alabama National Guard (United States) generals Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Air Force generals University of Nebraska alumni