Ralph Eberhart

Ralph Eberhart
Ralph Eberhart
	General Ralph E. "Ed" Eberhart
Born	December 6, 1946 (age 77); Nevada, Missouri
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1968–2005
Rank	General
Commands	North American Aerospace Defense Command ; United States Northern Command ; United States Space Command ; Air Combat Command ; Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force ; Fifth Air Force ; 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing ; 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Battles/wars	Vietnam War ; Gulf War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2); Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2); Legion of Merit (2); Distinguished Flying Cross

Last updated August 26, 2024

Ralph Edward "Ed" Eberhart (born December 6, 1946) is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force (USAF).^[1] He served as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. He was in charge of NORAD during the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Biography

Eberhart entered the USAF in 1968 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, having been the cadet wing commander during his senior year.^[2]

A command pilot, General Eberhart has logged more than 5,000 hours, primarily in fighter and trainer aircraft, including 300 combat missions as a forward air controller in the Vietnam War.

While commander of the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing during Operation Desert Shield, the unit established the theater's initial air-to-ground combat capability from a forward operating location.

While he was lieutenant general in January 1996, Eberhart produced a novel concept in operational doctrine: "that a joint force commander could profitably use his air component to attack deep battle targets or at the start of an expeditionary operation before ground forces were in place." Chief of Staff of the Air Force general Ronald Fogleman embraced this doctrine, saying in April 1996: "The need for mass on the battlefield has now changed. We don’t need to occupy an enemy’s country to defeat his strategy. We can reduce his combat capabilities and in many instances defeat his armed forces from the air."^[3]

Eberhart's staff experience includes serving as executive officer to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force at Headquarters USAF; Deputy Chief of Staff for Inspection, Safety and Security, Headquarters Tactical Air Command; Director for Programs and Evaluation, Headquarters USAF; Director of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, the Joint Staff; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters USAF. The general has also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, commander, Air Combat Command, Commander, Air Force Space Command, and as commander-in-chief, United States Space Command.

Eberhart has commanded a flight, squadron, wing, numbered air force and two major commands, as well as one sub-unified command, two unified commands and one bi-national command.

Eberhart's international awards include the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, presented while serving as the Commander of United States Forces Japan, by the Emperor of Japan, as well as the French Legion of Honor.

Education

1964 McCluer High School, Florissant, Missouri ^[4]
1968 Bachelor of Science degree in political science, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1973 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, by correspondence
1974 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, by correspondence
1977 Master's degree in political science, Troy State University
1987 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Assignments

August 1968 – August 1969, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 615th Student Squadron, Air Training Command, Craig AFB, Alabama
February 1970 – December 1970, forward air controller, 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam
December 1970 – June 1974, T-38 Talon instructor pilot, assistant flight commander, flight commander and headquarters squadron commander, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
June 1974 – June 1975, resource manager, Air Staff Training Program, Special Category Management Section, Rated Career Management Branch, Headquarters Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
December 1975 – February 1977, F-4E Phantom II flight commander and instructor pilot, 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany
February 1977 – December 1978, F-4E instructor pilot, standardization and evaluation flight examiner, and assistant Chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AB, West Germany
January 1979 – July 1980, action officer, Readiness Initiative Group, Directorate of Operations, later, Chief, Executive Committee, Air Force Budget Issues Team, Directorate of Plans, Congressional and External Affairs Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
July 1980 – June 1982, aide to the Commander in Chief, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe, and Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Ramstein AB, West Germany
September 1982 – May 1984, commander, 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AB, West Germany
May 1984 – July 1986, executive officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
July 1986 – July 1987, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
July 1987 – October 1990, vice commander, later, commander, 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
October 1990 – February 1991, Deputy Chief of Staff for Inspection, Safety and Security, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
February 1991 – February 1994, director, Directorate of Programs and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
February 1994 – June 1995, director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
June 1995 – June 1996, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
June 1996 – June 1997, commander, U.S. Forces, Japan, and Commander, 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan
July 1997 – June 1999, vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
June 1999 – February 2000, commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
February 2000 – April 2002, commander in chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command; commander, Air Force Space Command; and Department of Defense Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations, Peterson AFB, Colorado
April 2002 – October 2002, commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command, and Department of Defense Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations, Peterson AFB, Colorado
October 2002 – January 1, 2005, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and USNORTHCOM (as U.S. Space Command by then ceased to exist and merged into USSTRATCOM), Peterson AFB, Colorado

Flight information

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,000 hours
Aircraft flown: O-2, T-38, T-39, F-4E, RF-4C, F-16, F-15, C-21 and C-37

Awards and decorations

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Distinguished Flying Cross
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Medal with two silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Commendation Medal
	Presidential Unit Citation
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Organizational Excellence Award
	Combat Readiness Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two bronze service stars
	Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star
	Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze service star
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class
	French Legion of Honour, Officer
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Award
	Vietnam Campaign Medal
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Other achievements

Able Aeronaut Award, Pacific Air Forces
General Jimmy Doolittle Award, Air Force Association (AFA)
Distinguished Achievement Award, AFA Tennessee Ernie Ford Chapter
Member, Council of Foreign Relations
Tom Lombardo Leadership Award, National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame
Thomas D. White Space Award, AFA
Air Force Order of the Sword, Air Force Space Command
General Bernard A. Schriever Award, AFA
General James V. Hartinger Award, National Defense Industrial Association, Rocky Mountain Chapter

Effective dates of promotion

Promotions
Insignia	Rank	Date
	General	August 1, 1997
	Lieutenant General	July 1, 1995
	Major general	July 1, 1993
	Brigadier general	March 1, 1991
	Colonel	November 1, 1984
	Lieutenant colonel	November 1, 1981
	Major	September 1, 1979
	Captain	June 5, 1971
	First lieutenant	December 5, 1969
	Second lieutenant	June 5, 1968

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References

↑ "Defense.gov News Release: GENERAL OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT". Defense.gov. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
↑ Brig Gen Robin Olds, Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus, "Fighter Pilot, the memoirs of legendary ace Robin Olds" (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2010), p. 364. ISBN 978-0-312-56951-8
↑ Grant 2001.
↑ Levins, Harry (April 3, 2001). "Air Force General, a Missourian, may be in line to become next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lee Enterprises. p. A3. He is Gen. Ralph E. 'Ed' Eberhart, a native of Nevada, Mo., who grew up in Ferguson and graduated from McCluer in 1964.

Bibliography

Grant, Rebecca (June 1, 2001). "Deep Strife". Air & Space Forces Magazine.

External links

Biography at USAF website

Military offices
Preceded by Thomas S. Moorman, Jr.	Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force 1997–1999	Succeeded by Lester Lyles
Preceded by Richard B. Myers	Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command 2000–2004	Succeeded by Timothy J. Keating
New command	Commander of the United States Northern Command 2002–2004	Succeeded by Timothy J. Keating

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[1] "Defense.gov News Release: GENERAL OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT". Defense.gov. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

[2] Brig Gen Robin Olds, Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus, "Fighter Pilot, the memoirs of legendary ace Robin Olds" (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2010), p. 364. ISBN 978-0-312-56951-8

[FOOTNOTEGrant2001-3] Grant 2001.

[4] Levins, Harry (April 3, 2001). "Air Force General, a Missourian, may be in line to become next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lee Enterprises. p. A3. He is Gen. Ralph E. 'Ed' Eberhart, a native of Nevada, Mo., who grew up in Ferguson and graduated from McCluer in 1964.

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Ralph Eberhart
General Ralph E. "Ed" Eberhart
Born	(1946-12-06) December 6, 1946 (age 77) Nevada, Missouri
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1968–2005
Rank	General
Commands	North American Aerospace Defense Command United States Northern Command United States Space Command Air Combat Command Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Fifth Air Force 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Battles/wars	Vietnam War Gulf War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross