Neil Armstrong and the X-15 by Bob van der Linden, Posted on Tue, July 23, 2019, Aeronautics Department, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum “Released from duty in mid-1952, Armstrong returned to Purdue where he earned his degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. His love of flight and engineering drew him to the National Advisory
Brigadier General Gene Thweatt’s last assignment was as “commander of the 831st Air Division, George Air Force Base, Calif. He provides command supervision over the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing equipped with F-4E’s and the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, equipped with F-4G Wild Weasels.
General Thweatt was born April 3, 1933, in Evansville, Ind., and graduated from Bosse High School there in 1951. He received his bachelor of science degree in marketing in 1955 from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a master’s degree in public administration from Shippensburg (Pa.) State College in 1978. The general graduated from Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., in 1970 and the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., in 1978.
Upon receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Indiana University in 1956, General Thweatt entered pilot training and received his wings at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas, in August 1957. He then completed advanced flying school at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and in March 1958 was assigned to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., as a tactical fighter pilot. Between September 1960 and June 1962, General Thweatt was not on active duty.
In June 1962 General Thweatt was assigned as a pilot with the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. He joined the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, also at MacDill, in August 1962 as an aircraft commander and later served as assistant squadron flight commander. He transferred with the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in December 1965 and served as an aircraft commander. When he returned to the United States in November 1966, he was assigned to the 4525th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis Air Force Base as standardization and evaluation officer in F-4s. In June 1968 he was appointed chief of standardization and evaluation.
Moving to Langley Air Force Base, Va., in January 1970, General Thweatt served as an operations staff officer in the Fighter Operations Directorate. His next assignment took him to Thailand where he served as operations officer for the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. He returned to the United States in February 1974 as the F-15 project officer at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
From October 1974 to February 1977, he was assigned to the 555th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke, initially as operations officer and from December 1976 as squadron commander. He then became the wing’s assistant deputy commander of operations for F-15s.
General Thweatt was named chief of the Tactical Force Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in August 1978. Then in June 1979, he became deputy director for tactical and mobility forces. The general transferred to Headquarters 12th Air Force, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, as deputy commander for operations in May 1980. In March 1981 General Thweatt was assigned as commander of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base and assumed his present duties in August 1982.
A command pilot with more than 4,800 flying hours, including 725 combat hours, his military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 12 oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal.
He was promoted to brigadier general Dec. 1, 1983, with date of rank Oct. 1, 1983.”
Source: af.mil
