Lieutenant General Tome H. Walters Jr. was Director,

Defense Security Cooperation Agency The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), as part of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense matériel, training and services to allies, and promotes military-to-milita ...

, Office of the Secretary of Defense,

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county i ...

. The agency directs and oversees U.S. foreign military sales, foreign military financing programs, international military education and training programs, and humanitarian assistance and demining programs. General Walters was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and graduated from the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Un ...

in 1970. He has served in command and staff positions at Air Force headquarters, the Joint Staff,

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from eleme ...

Air Training Command Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as A ...

and

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile c ...

. General Walters commanded an air refueling squadron, a pilot training operations group and an air refueling wing. He is a command pilot, having flown more than 3,500 hours in air refueling and trainer aircraft, including 100 air refueling support sorties in Southeast Asia during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Walters retired on July 1, 2004 and moved to

Seguin, Texas Seguin ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Guadalupe County, Texas, United States; as of the 2020 census, its population was 29,433. Its economy is primarily supported by a regional hospital, as well as the Schertz-Seguin Local Government C ...

Education

*1965

Fair Park High School Fair Park Middle School is a former high school located at 3222 Greenwood Road in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. The school was originally named Fair Park High School when it opened in 1928, and it was the second high school in the city. C.E. Byrd H ...

, Shreveport, Louisiana *1970 Bachelor of Science degree in international affairs, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado *1976

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 U. ...

, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama *1981

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 ...

, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *1987

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, space, and cyberspace in joint operati ...

, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *1996 Seminar XXI, Foreign Political and International Relations,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

*1996 Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, Harvard University

Assignments

*June 1970 - July 1971, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training,

Williams AFB, Arizona Williams Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force (USAF) base, located in Maricopa County, Arizona, east of Chandler, and about southeast of Phoenix. It is a designated Superfund site due to a number of soil and groundwater contamin ...

*January 1972 - July 1977, pilot, aircraft commander, instructor pilot, chief of training flight, and standardization and evaluation, 11th Air Refueling Squadron,

Altus AFB, Oklahoma Altus Air Force Base (Altus AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Altus, Oklahoma. The host unit at Altus AFB is the 97th Air Mobility Wing (97 AMW), assigned to the Nineteenth Air Force (19 A ...

*August 1977 - July 1980, KC-135 flight evaluator and chief, Command Instrument Flight Division, 1st Combat Evaluation Group,

Barksdale AFB, Louisiana Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...

*August 1980 - June 1981, student, Air Command and Staff College,

Maxwell AFB, Alabama Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

*July 1981 - May 1984, Tanker Requirements Project Officer, Directorate of Research, Development and Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *May 1984 - July 1986, Commander, 407th Air Refueling Squadron,

Loring AFB, Maine Loring Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation in northeastern Maine, near Limestone, Maine, Limestone and Caribou, Maine, Caribou in Aroostook County, Maine, Aroostook County. It was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Fo ...

*August 1986 - June 1987, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *July 1987 - August 1989, tanker force programmer, later, Deputy Chief of Strategic Forces, later, Chief, Programs Division, Directorate of Programs and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *August 1989 - December 1991, Director of Requirements, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas *December 1991 - February 1993, Commander, 47th Operations Group,

Laughlin AFB, Texas Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located east of Del Rio, Texas. Overview Laughlin AFB, the largest pilot training base in the US Air Force, is home to the 47th Flying Training Wing of the Air Education and ...

*February 1993 - March 1994, Commander, 19th Air Refueling Wing,

Robins AFB, Georgia Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast ...

*March 1994 - June 1995, Deputy Director of Programs and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *July 1995 - September 1996, Deputy Director for Operations, National Military Command Center, J-3, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. *October 1996 - December 1998, Director of Global Reach Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *December 1998 - August 2000, Principal Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *August 2000–July 1, 2004 (Retirement), Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va.

Flight information

*Rating: Command pilot *Flight hours: More than 3,500 hours *Aircraft flown: KC-135A/R, T-37 and T-38

Major awards and decorations

Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the ...

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (AFDSM) 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 ...

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 military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with oak leaf cluster * Distinguished Flying Cross *

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: *Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Med ...

with two 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 establish ...

with two oak leaf clusters * Air Force Commendation ribbon

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 *

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is 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. Ar ...

with bronze star * Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm *Cross of Merit, Second Class (Republic of Estonia)

Other achievements

*Department of State

Superior Honor Award The Superior Honor Award is an award of the United States Department of State. Similar versions of the same award exist for the former U.S. Information Agency, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and USAID. It is presented to groups or individu ...

Effective dates of promotion

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

June 3, 1970 *

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 ...

December 3, 1971 *

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

December 3, 1973 * Major July 1, 1980 * Lieutenant colonel May 1, 1984 *

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 ...

August 1, 1989 *

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 ...

July 1, 1995 * Major General April 1, 1998 *

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 ...

October 1, 2000

External links

Official biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Tome Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Harvard University alumni United States Air Force generals Military personnel from Shreveport, Louisiana United States Air Force Academy alumni Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) Living people Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Year of birth missing (living people)