Michael H. Alexander

Preferred Name: Mike
Date of Birth: March 29, 1931
Headed West: April 27, 2020
Highest Military Grade Held: 0-7 – Brigadier General
Hometown: Chicago, Il
Biography

Brigadier General Michael H. Alexander was the joint program manager for the Worldwide Military Command and Control System Information System (WIS), Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the assistant for WIS, Deputy Chief of Staff, Research, Development and Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950 and following the Korean conflict received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. He received his commission upon graduation in 1956. Following graduation, he completed flying training at Stallings Air Base, N.C., and Webb Air Force Base, Texas, in September 1957. From 1957 to 1961, he was an instructor pilot at Webb Air Force Base and attended Squadron Officer School in residence in 1961. He was assigned to Case Institute under the Air Force Institute of Technology graduate program and received his master’s degree in 1963.

From August 1963 to July 1965, General Alexander was a research analyst assigned to Headquarters Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. He then attended Air Command and Staff College graduating in June 1966. From July to December 1966, he flew F-100s at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. In January 1967 the general transferred to forward air controller school at Hurlburt Field, Fla. He joined the 20th Tactical Air Control Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, and from March 1967 to January 1968, served as a forward air controller flying O-ls and 0-2s. He flew 420 combat missions from Khe Sanh, Dong Ha and Da Nang Air Bases.

Upon his return to the United States, General Alexander was assigned to Air Force headquarters, where he served as an operations research analyst from February 1968 to May 1970. He then served as assistant executive officer to the undersecretary of the Air Force until August 1972.

Following graduation from the National War College in July 1973, he was assigned to the Electronics Systems Division at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. General Alexander served successively from August 1973 to May 1979 as director, Tactical Long Range Navigation Systems Program Office, assistant deputy for command and control systems, deputy for Iranian programs, and deputy for development plans. He moved to Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn., as commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Center in May 1979. In December 1981 the general returned to Hanscom Air Force Base as deputy for strategic systems, Electronic Systems Division. He assumed his present duties in April 1984.

He was promoted to brigadier general on February 1, 1981, and retired from the USAF on May 1, 1986.

Headed West

Michael H.Alexander (BGen USAF, Ret) “Headed West” on April 27, 2020.

Michael H.Alexander (BGen USAF, Ret) was born in Chicago in 1931 and Headed West on April 27, 2020, after a battle with medical conditions related to Agent Orange exposure.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950 and following the Korean conflict received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. He received his commission upon graduation in 1956. Following graduation, he completed flying training at Stallings Air Base, N.C., and Webb Air Force Base, Texas, in September 1957. From 1957 to 1961, he was an instructor pilot at Webb Air Force Base and attended Squadron Officer School in residence in 1961. He was assigned to Case Institute under the Air Force Institute of Technology graduate program and received his master’s degree in 1963.

From August 1963 to July 1965, General Alexander was a research analyst assigned to Headquarters Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. He then attended Air Command and Staff College graduating in June 1966. From July to December 1966, he flew F-100s at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. In January 1967 the general transferred to forward air controller school at Hurlburt Field, Fla. He joined the 20th Tactical Air Control Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, and from March 1967 to January 1968, served as a forward air controller flying O-ls and 0-2s. He flew 420 combat missions from Khe Sanh, Dong Ha, and Da Nang Air Bases.

His wife Meg says, Mike “flew over 250 missions most of them were highly classified. He was never-based with the Air Force when he was in Vietnam. I once asked him, some 20 years ago, if he was In some places he wasn’t supposed to be. His reply to me was, ”I was supposed to be everyplace I was and I was never in any place where I wasn’t supposed to be”.

Upon his return to the United States, General Alexander was assigned to Air Force headquarters, where he served as an operations research analyst from February 1968 to May 1970. He then served as assistant executive officer to the undersecretary of the Air Force until August 1972.

General Alexander is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with 21 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with “V” device, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

He will be missed. More information will be posted when available.

Sources: Mike’s wife Meg to whom we offer our deepest sympathy, and af.mil

 

Pilot Information

Units Assigned

  • 8/1963-7/1965 Headquarters Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
  • 7/1965-6/1966 Air Command and Staff College
  • 7/1966-12/1966 Luke Air Force Base, AZ (F-100)
  • 1/1967 FAC school, Hurlburt Field, FL.
  • 3/1967-1/1968 20th Tactical Air Control Squadron, FAC, Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam (420 combat missions from Khe Sanh AB/Dong Ha AB/Da Nang AB) (F-100, O-1, O-2)
  • 2/1968-5/1970 AF HQ, operations research analyst, Washington, DC
  • 5/1970-8/1972 AF HQ, assistant executive officer to the undersecretary of the Air Force, Washington, DC
  • 8/1972-7/1973 National War College
  • 8/1973-5/1979 Electronics Systems Division, Director, Tactical Long Range Navigation Systems Program Office, assistant deputy for command and control systems, deputy for Iranian programs, and deputy for development plans, Hanscom AFB, MA
  • 5/1979-4/1984 Arnold AFS, Tenn., as commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Center in May 1979.
  • 12/1981-4/1984 Electronic Systems Division, Deputy for strategic systems, Hanscom AFB, MA
  • 4/1984-5/1986 AF HQ, joint program manager for the Worldwide Military Command and Control System Information System (WIS), Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the assistant for WIS, Deputy Chief of Staff, Research, Development and Acquisition, Washington, D.C.
  • 5/1986 Retired USAF

Awards & Decorations

Legion of Merit with 2 Oak Clusters

Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster

Air Medal with 21 Oak Leaf Clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Service Stars

National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star

Vietnam Gallantry Cross With Palm

Vietnam Campaign Medal

Flight Info

F-100
O-1
O-2

Flight Hours: 3600+, 420 combat missions

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
  • Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
  • U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
  • National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Civilian Education:

  • MS/Operations research from Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland
  • MS/Public Administration, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
  • Executive Program, Stanford University