| Thomas Samuel Moorman | |
|---|---|
 Lt. Gen. Thomas S Moorman pictured as Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy | |
| Born | July 11, 1910 Presidio of Monterey, California |
| Died | December 23, 1997 (aged 87) Sterling, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1933–1970 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy Thirteenth Air Force |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Air Medal |
| Relations | General Thomas S. Moorman Jr. (son) Robert Glenn Moorman (great-grandfather) |
Lieutenant General Thomas Samuel Moorman (July 11, 1910 – December 23, 1997) was the fifth Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The United States Air Force Academy, is a military academy for officer cadets of the United States Air Force. Its campus is located in the western United States in Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County.
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality that is the largest city by area in Colorado as well as the county seat and the most populous municipality of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in the east central portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located 60 miles (97 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
Moorman was born at the Presidio of Monterey, California on July 11, 1910. He attended John J. Phillips High School in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1933 he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and entered the Air Corps flying training school at Randolph Field, Texas.
Birmingham is a city located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. With an estimated 2017 population of 210,710, it is the most populous city in Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous and fifth largest county. As of 2017, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 1,149,807, making it the most populous in Alabama and 49th-most populous in the United States. Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South, Piedmont, and Appalachian regions of the nation.
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point, Army, Army West Point, The Academy, or simply The Point, is a four-year federal service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort that sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River with a scenic view, 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. It is one of the four U.S. military service academies, and one of the five U.S. service academies.
He earned his pilot wings in October 1934 and was assigned to the 4th Observation Squadron, 5th Composite Group at Luke Field, Hawaii. In July 1936, General Moorman was reassigned to the 97th Reconnaissance Squadron at Mitchel Field, New York for a 12-month tour.
In 1937 General Moorman entered the field of meteorology, obtained a master of science degree from the California Institute of Technology and embarked on a sphere of activity which would dominate the next 20 years of his career. After a two-year assignment as Weather Officer at Randolph Field, Texas, he gained valuable information in meteorology through further study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private doctorate-granting research university in Pasadena, California. Known for its strength in natural science and engineering, Caltech is often ranked as one of the world's top-ten universities.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1861 in response to the increasing industrialization of the United States, MIT adopted a European polytechnic university model and stressed laboratory instruction in applied science and engineering. The institute is traditionally known for its research and education in the physical sciences and engineering, but more recently in biology, economics, linguistics and management as well. MIT is often ranked among the world's top five universities.
In July 1941, General Moorman was assigned to Air Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief climatologist and assistant director of the Air Corps Research Center and liaison officer to the U.S. Weather Bureau. From May 1943 until December 1943, General Moorman was commanding officer of the 21st Weather Squadron, first at Bradley Field, Connecticut, and later in England.
Bradley International Airport is a civil/military airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England.
General Moorman became staff weather officer and later director of weather for Ninth Air Force in the European Theater of Operations, a position he held from January 1944 until December 1944. From January 1945 until June 1945, he served as commanding officer of the 21st Weather Squadron and Staff Weather Officer for Ninth Air Force.
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It has been headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, since activation on 5 August 2009. From 1990, units were deployed to the Middle East against Iraq, and from 2001 against threats emanating from Afghanistan. This prior Ninth Air Force is now known as United States Air Forces Central (USAFCENT).
After V-J Day in 1945, General Moorman returned to the U.S. as deputy chief of staff for Air Weather Service. One year later he became air weather officer at Headquarters Army Air Forces and remained in that position until he entered the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
From July 1948 until June 1951, General Moorman served with the United States Far East Air Force in Tokyo as commander of the 2143d Air Weather Wing (now the 1st Weather Wing), and upon his return to the United States he became deputy commander of the Air Weather Service at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
On April 22, 1954, his 16 years of weather operations culminated in his appointment as Air Weather Service commander, responsible for providing environmental support to the Air Force and Army through weather central forecast centers, base weather stations, observation sites, worldwide weather reconnaissance and atmospheric sampling.
Returning to the Far East in 1958, General Moorman assumed command of the Thirteenth Air Force at Clark Air Base, Philippines. He was responsible for air operations throughout Southeast Asia, as well as for the air defense of the Philippines in conjunction with the Philippine Air Force.
On July 28, 1961, General Moorman became vice commander in chief, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and on July 1, 1965, General Moorman became Superintendent of the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Among his awards and decorations are the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star and the Air Medal. He retired August 1, 1970, and died December 23, 1997 at the Falcons Landing retirement community in Sterling, Virginia.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert H. Warren | Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy 1965—1970 | Succeeded by Albert P. Clark |
