“Lieutenant General James F. Record was commander, 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is comprised of eight active-duty wings in the Western and Midwestern United States and Panama with more than 450 aircraft and 35,000 active-duty military and civilian personnel. He also ensures the operational readiness of 12th Air Force-gained units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, featuring an additional 21,000 people and more than 360 aircraft. His duties also involve overseeing U.S. Air Force assets provided to U.S. Southern Command in Central and South America as commander of the air component to that unified command. He also serves as the Air Force commander of Component Task Force 224, the Battle Management arm of U.S. Strategic Command.
The General was born and raised in Indiana. He entered the Air Force in 1961, following graduation from Purdue University and commissioning through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has commanded three fighter wings, an air division, served as the first deputy commander of Joint Task Force Middle East operating in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, and served as commander of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia. General Record also served in the Pentagon, and has held high level joint duty positions with U.S. Central Command, United Nations Command and the Republic of Korea and United States Combined Forces Command. He is a command pilot, having flown more than 6,000 hours, principally in fighter aircraft. He flew 616 combat missions in Southeast Asia.” (1)
Source (1): https://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jfrecord.htm#:~:text=December%2022%2C%202009.-,Lieutenant%20General%20James%20F.,Monthan%20Air%20Force%20Base%2C%20Arizona.
James F. Record, LtGen USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on December 22, 2009.
Lieutenant General James Record started life as a farm boy, born in Clinton County, Indiana on September 6, 1938, the son of Edwin and Enid Record. At an early age, he was excited by the thought of flying so he took lessons and got his pilot’s license while in college. He continued chasing his dreams with this same tenacity his entire life. A Distinguished Graduate from ROTC at Purdue University, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force in 1961. During college, he was a leader on the Purdue AF ROTC Drill Team which won several national honors, including National Champions. Today, he is a member of the Purdue AF ROTC Hall of Fame. General Record’s Air Force career followed suit. He moved through the ranks, excelling during each assignment.
He was a command pilot who flew two separate tours of duty in Vietnam, one as a Forward Air Controller and one as an F-100 fighter pilot, flying 616 combat missions and over 1,100 combat hours. He piloted 11 different aircraft totaling over 6,000 flying hours in his 36 years of service. He commanded three fighter wings, an air division, and served as the first Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia. Culminating this distinguished career, he commanded 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces comprised of eight active duty wings, over 450 aircraft, 35,000 active duty and civilian personnel as well as 21,000 Reserve and National Guard forces with over 360 aircraft. His military decorations include the Vietnam Service Medal with six service stars, 27 Air Medals, the Bronze Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster. General Record retired from Air Force service in 1997.
He then served a two year assignment as a Senior Executive for Hughes/Raytheon in Saudi Arabia. Upon returning, he began his next career in an executive position with Raytheon Missile Systems in their business development division. He worked there until 2007 when he retired for the second time. General Record died peacefully on December 22, 2009. He is survived by his mother, Enid; his wife, Peggy; sons, James, John and Joe, as well as brother, Ray and sisters, Arlene Harshbarger and Barbara Woodhull. A Memorial Service were held at Davis-Monthan AFB on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. General Record is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Source: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tucson/name/james-record-obituary?id=22884792
