Gregory S. Martin

Infobox Military Person
name=Gregory S. Martin
born= birth year and age|1948
died=


caption=General Gregory S. Martin
nickname=Speedy
placeofbirth= Fort Myer, Virginia
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Air Force
serviceyears=1970-2005
rank= General
unit=
commands=Air Force Materiel Command U.S. Air Forces in Europe 1st Fighter Wing
battles= Vietnam War
awards=Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (12) Légion d'honneur
relations=
laterwork=
General Gregory S. Martin was a U.S. Air Force general and Commander, Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Martin was a command pilot with more than 4,600 flying hours in various aircraft, including the F-4, F-15, C-20 and C-21.

Military career

Martin was born in Fort Myer, Virginia in 1948, and graduated from the Landon School, Bethesda, Maryland, in 1966. After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1970, where he was a 1969 National Collegiate Parachuting champion, he went on to fly 161 combat missions in South East Asia, and then went on to train other pilots. In 1977, he received Master’s degree in business management from Central Michigan University. With this experience, he was tapped to command the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, then the 479th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, then the 33rd and 1st Fighter Wings. While earning several awards and decorations, among them the Distinguished Service Medal, he went on to serve as Vice Director of the Joint Staff's Force Structure and Resources Directorate, Director of Operational Requirements for the U.S. Air Force, and Principal Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. Before finally commanding Air Materiel Command, Martin served as the Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Forces Northern Europe.

In 2004, Martin was nominated to succeed Admiral Thomas B. Fargo as combatant commander of U.S. Pacific Command, the first non-Navy nominee for this prestigious post. However, he suffered collateral damage from the Darleen Druyun procurement scandal. During his Oct. 6 confirmation hearing for the Pacific command post before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain asked how Druyun's deceit had gone unnoticed. Martin, who had worked closely with Druyun in 1998-99 while he held the position of Principal Deputy in acquisition said in response "I'm not an expert in contracting," and "I saw nothing that she was doing that was inappropriate or in any way illegal."Gregg K. Kakesako [http://starbulletin.com/2004/10/07/news/story1.html General pulls plug on Camp Smith job] "Honolulu Star-Bulletin " 7 October 2004] McCain replied, "Now I question whether you have the quality to command". [ George Cahlink, [http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1104/110504g1.htm Procurement scandal cuts short Air Force general's quest for command] "Govex", 5 Nov 2004] McCain called the Boeing deal "a national disgrace", and vowed to hold Martin's nomination in the Senate Armed Services Committee "until we get all of the e-mails and all of the answers." Committee Chairman John W. Warner supported McCain, and Martin withdrew his name the same day. Prior to this setback, Martin had been considered the likely successor to Air Force Chief of Staff John P. Jumper.

Martin retired from the Air Force on September 1, 2005. He is currently a member of the [http://www7.nationalacademies.org/afstb/about_afsb.html Air Force Studies Group] , as well as an advisor to John Edwards [ [http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/20070523-military-advisory-group Edwards Campaign Announces Military Advisory Group] "JohnEdwards 08"]

Education

*1970 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
*1974 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
*1977 Master's degree in business management, Central Michigan University
*1978 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
*1979 National Security Management, by correspondence
*1986 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
*1987 Seminar XXI - Foreign Political and International Relations, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
*1991 Advanced Management Program, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Assignments

*August 1970 - August 1971, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laredo AFB, Texas
*August 1971 - May 1972, student, F-4 replacement training, George AFB, California
*May 1972 - October 1972, F-4 aircraft commander, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
*October 1972 - June 1973, F-4 flight leader, 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Udon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
*June 1973 - June 1976, F-4 instructor pilot, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
*June 1976 - July 1977, assignment officer, Air Staff Training Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
*July 1977 - August 1978, aide to the Air Force Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
*August 1978 - October 1981, F-15 instructor pilot and flight commander, 461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Luke AFB, Arizona
*October 1981 - August 1985, Chief of Wing Training, 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, operations officer, later, Commander, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
*August 1985 - June 1986, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
*June 1986 - July 1988, Chief, Continental U.S. Bases and Units Division, later, Chief of Tactical Programs for the Air Staff's Directorate of Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
*July 1988 - July 1989, Vice Commander, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
*July 1989 - August 1990, executive officer to the Commander, later, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
*August 1990 - August 1991, Commander, 479th Tactical Training Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
*August 1991 - June 1993, Commander, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida
*June 1993 - May 1995, Commander, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia
*May 1995 - July 1996, Deputy Director, later, Vice Director, Force Structure and Resources, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
*July 1996 - January 1997, Director of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
*January 1997 - July 1998, Director of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
*July 1998 - January 2000, Principal Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.
*January 2000 - March 2000, Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe; and Air Force Component Commander, U.S. European Command, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
*March 2000 - August 2003, Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Forces Northern Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
*August 2003 - August 2005, Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

Flight information

*Rating: Command pilot, master parachutist
*Flight hours: More than 4,600
*Aircraft flown: F-4, F-15, C-20 and C-21

Major awards and decorations

*Defense Distinguished Service Medal
*Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
*Defense Superior Service Medal
*Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
*Distinguished Flying Cross
*Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
*Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters
*Air Force Commendation Medal
*Medal of Commander of Order and Valor (Cameroon)
*Medal of Merit, Gold (Netherlands)
*Légion d'honneur (France)
*Cross of Merit (First Class) of the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic
*NATO Meritorious Service Medal

Other achievements

*1969 National Collegiate Parachuting Champion
*2002 Honorary Doctorate, University of Maryland
*2003 Air Force Order of the Sword, U.S. Air Forces in Europe

Effective dates of promotion

*Second Lieutenant June 3, 1970
*First Lieutenant December 3, 1971
*Captain December 3, 1973
*Major September 1, 1979
*Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 1982
*Colonel December 1, 1986
*Brigadier General July 1, 1993
*Major General July 1, 1996
*Lieutenant General July 27, 1998
*General June 1, 2000

References