Brigadier General Antonio Maldonado (born in 1941, in Comerio, Puerto Rico), was an officer of the United States Air Force, who in 1965 became the youngest person to pilot a B-52 aircraft. He also served as chief, U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation, Madrid, Spain. He was the senior Department of Defense representative to Spain.^[1] For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Puerto_Rico. ... Comer o is a municipality of Puerto Rico. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal of the United States is a senior decoration of the Department of Defense. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross. ... The Meritorious Service Medal is a senior level military decoration presented to denote acts of non-combat meritorious service worthy of recognition. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Comer o is a municipality of Puerto Rico. ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... The name PILOT is an acronym, and stands for Programmed Instruction, Learning, Or Teaching. ... B-52 can refer to the following: The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber aircraft A hairstyle popular in the 1950s and 1960s, named after the aircraft A rock band, The B-52s, named after the hairstyle A cocktail This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ...

Early years

Maldonado was born in Comerio, a town located in the center-eastern region of Puerto Rico. His family moved to the capital of the island, San Juan and there he attended Central High School. Maldonado graduated from high school in May 1960 and continued his academic education in the University of Puerto Rico where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration in May 1964. Upon his graduation, Maldonado received the commission of second lieutenant in the United States Air Force as a result of his participation in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program.^[1] The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ...

Military career

Maldonado was sent to Moody Air Force Base in Georgia where he completed his undergraduate pilot training in August 1965. He was then assigned as a B-52 pilot,becoming at the age of 24 the youngest person to pilot said aircraft, with the 34th Bombardment Squadron, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.^[2] On May 1967, he was reassigned to Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto, where he served as a B-52 aircraft commander until May 1970. During his stay in the island he earned his master of business administration degree at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico in May 1969. Moody Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Lowndes County, Georgia. ... Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties, adjacent to Riverside, Fairborn, Beavercreek, and Dayton, Ohio. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ...

In 1970,he was assigned to the 67th Tactical Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, where he trained as an RF-4C pilot at the Squadron Officer School. Mountain Home Air Force Base (Mountain Home AFB) is a U.S. Air Force base located west of Mountain Home, Idaho in Elmore County, and fifty miles (80 km) southeast of Boise. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into F-4 Phantom II variants. ...

Vietnam War

In January 1971, Maldonado was transferred to the 432nd Tactical Fighter Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. His active participation in the Vietnam War included 183 air combat missions over North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia with nearly 400 combat flying hours. Udon Thani International Airport is an airport located near the city of Udon Thani (อุดรธานี, also Udorn Thanee) in Udon Thani province, about 248 miles (450 kilometers) northeast of Bangkok. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ...

Return to the United States

In December 1971, Maldonado returned to the United States upon completing his tour of duty in Vietnam. He was assigned to Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas, as an RF-4C pilot. In December 1972 he served in a special assignment as an international politico-military affairs officer to the U.S. Southern Command, Albrook Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone. Maldonado attended the Army Command and Staff College from July 1976 to July 1977. Bergstrom AFB, Texas - 1962 Bergstrom Air Force Base (1942-1993) was located seven miles southeast of Austin, Texas. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... The United States Southern Command (also called SOUTHCOM) is responsible for all United States military activities in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean basin. ... Albrook Air Force Base was one of two main United States Air Force bases located inside Panama, in the area of the Panama Canal Zone (the other was Howard AFB. It was located on the east side of the Panama Canal just south of Fort Clayton and north of the... The Panama Canal Zone (Spanish: ), was a 553 square mile (1,432 km²) territory inside of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles (8. ...

Among the assignments which he held from 1977 to 1982 were the following: B-52 aircraft commander and chief of the Command Control Division (1977-1979) for the 42nd Bombardment Wing at Loring Air Force Base, Maine; command of the 28th Bombardment Squadron and later assistant deputy commander for operations, 19th Bombardment Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia (1979-1981). He continued his military academic education by attending the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Loring AFB is a former United States Air Force base located in Aroostook County, Maine, treated for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place. ... Robins Air Force Base (Robins AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force located in Houston County, Georgia. ... The United States Air Force Air War College is a part of Air University, and is a component of the United States Air Forces Air Education and Training Command, headquartered at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama. ... Maxwell Air Force Base (offically known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base) is a United States Air Force facility near Montgomery, Alabama. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ...

Pentagon assignments

Upon his graduation from the Air War College, Maldonado was assigned to Headquarters, United States Air Force at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., as chief, Western Hemisphere Division, Office of the Deputy Director for Plans and Policy. In June 1983 he was named chief, Strategic Offensive Forces Division, Directorate of Plans.^[1] The Headquarters for the United States Air Force (HQ USAF) are located at The Pentagon in Washington D.C. Categories: Military stubs ... Look up pentagon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack...

In April 1984, Maldonado was transferred to K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan. During the years which he spent there (1984-1987) he assumed the variuos duties: deputy commander (1984) for operations, 410th Bombardment Wing; vice commander (Spet. 1984) of the wing and commander(July 1985). While commanding the 410th, General Maldonado won numerous awards including the Coveted Omaha Trophy (best wing in SAC) and the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Trophy (best wing commander). Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ...

On May 1987, Maldonado was reassigned once more to to Headquarters, United States Air Force where he served as chief, Strategic Operations Division, Operations Directorate, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In June 1988 he became deputy director for operations, National Military Command Center, the Pentagon. On September 1 of that same year, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. The Headquarters for the United States Air Force (HQ USAF) are located at The Pentagon in Washington D.C. Categories: Military stubs ... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a grouping comprising the Chiefs of service of each major branch of the armed services in the United States armed forces. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ...

On July 1989, Maldonado was named chief, U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation, Madrid, Spain, becoming the senior Department of Defense representative to that country. His responsibilities included providing overall direction to U.S. elements in Spain on status of forces, security assistance programs and other defense and base agreement matters. ^[1] Brigadier General Maldonado retired from the United States Air Force on September 1, 1991 with 4,000 hours of flight, after 25 years of service. This article is about the Spanish capital. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Later years

After Maldonado retired from the Air Force, he was named President of "Fomento Industrial de Puerto Rico" (Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company) by the Government of Puerto Rico, a position which he held until 1997.^[2] The Government of Puerto Rico is a commonwealth within the United States consisting of a national and state government and 78 administrative sub-divisions called municipalities. ...

Awards and Recognitions

Among Brigadier General Antonio Maldonado's decorations and medals were the following:

•   Defense Superior Service Medal
•   Legion of Merit
•   Distinguished Flying Cross,
•   Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters,
•   Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters,
•   Air Force Commendation Medal
•   National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star,
•   Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star,
•   Vietnam Service Medal with bronze service star
•   Vietnam Campaign Medal

Badges: Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal of the United States is a senior decoration of the Department of Defense. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Meritorious Service Medal is a senior level military decoration presented to denote acts of non-combat meritorious service worthy of recognition. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ... Image File history File links Air_Force_Commendation_Medal_ribbon. ... The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military award which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. ... Image File history File links National_Defense_Service_Medal_ribbon. ... Ribbon for the National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States military which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. ... Image File history File links Vietnam_Service_Ribbon. ... Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal ribbon The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. ... Vietnam Campaign Ribbon & 60 Bar This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military award of South Vietnam which was established in 1966. ...

•   Command pilot
•   Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

WWII Pilot Command Badge File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... USAF aeronautical ratings are aviation aircrew qualifications established and awarded by the United States Air Force for commissioned officers participating in aerial and space flight. ... The Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge is a U.S. military badge presented to the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff upon appointment to position as either a Service Head, Vice Chairman, or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ...

See also

• List of notable Puerto Ricans

This is a list of highly notable people who were either born in Puerto Rico, are descendents of Puerto Ricans or have chosen Puerto Rico as their homeland. ...

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b c d} USAF BIO, Retrieved June 7, 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b} Ildelfonso Lopez, Tras las Huellas de Nuestro Paso, Pg. 34, Publisher: AEELA, 1998, Retrieved June 6, 2007.