U N I T E D   S T A T E S   A
I R   F O R C E

GENERAL RALPH E. "ED"
EBERHART

Retired Jan. 1, 2005.

General Ralph E. "Ed"
Eberhart is Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and
U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

General
Eberhart entered the Air Force in 1968 as a graduate of the U.S. Air
Force Academy. His staff experience includes serving as Executive
Officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff at Headquarters U.S. Air
Force; Deputy Chief of Staff for Inspection, Safety and Security,
Headquarters Tactical Air Command; Director for Programs and
Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; Director of Force
Structure, Resources and Assessment, the Joint Staff; and Deputy
Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air
Force. The general has also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the
U.S. Air Force, Commander, Air Combat Command, Commander, Air Force
Space Command, and as Commander in Chief, U.S. Space
Command.

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

EDUCATION
1968 Bachelor of Science
degree in political science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado
Springs, Colo.
1973 Squadron Officer School, by
correspondence
1974 Air Command and Staff College, by
correspondence
1977 Master's degree in political science, Troy
State University
1987 National War College, Fort Lesley J.
McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1968
- August 1969, student, undergraduate pilot training, 615th Student
Squadron, Air Training Command, Craig AFB, Ala.
2. February 1970
- December 1970, forward air controller, 20th Tactical Air Support
Squadron, Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam
3. December 1970 - June
1974, T-38 instructor pilot, assistant flight commander, flight
commander and headquarters squadron commander, 71st Flying Training
Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
4. 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
5. December 1975 -
February 1977, F-4E flight commander and instructor pilot, 525th
Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany
6. 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
7.
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.
8. July 1980 - June 1982, aide to the Commander
in Chief, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and Commander,
Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Ramstein AB, West Germany
9.
September 1982 - May 1984, Commander, 10th Tactical Fighter
Squadron, later, Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 50th
Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AB, West Germany
10. May 1984 - July
1986, executive officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff,
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. July 1986 -
July 1987, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair,
Washington, D.C.
12. July 1987 - October 1990, Vice Commander,
later, Commander, 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
13.
October 1990 - February 1991, Deputy Chief of Staff for Inspection,
Safety and Security, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB,
Va.
14. February 1991 - February 1994, Director, Directorate of
Programs and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington,
D.C.
15. February 1994 - June 1995, Director, Force Structure,
Resources and Assessment, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
16.
June 1995 - June 1996, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and
Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17.
June 1996 - June 1997, Commander, U.S. Forces, Japan, and Commander,
5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan
18. July 1997 - June 1999, Vice
Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
19.
June 1999 - February 2000, Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley
AFB, Va.
20. 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,
Colo.
21. 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, Colo.
22. October 2002 - present,
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S.
Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.

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

MAJOR AWARDS AND
DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf
cluster
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf
cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished
Flying Cross
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious
Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 11 oak
leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Presidential Unit
Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf
clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf
cluster
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
with two bronze stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two
bronze stars
Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze
stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze
star
Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze star
Air Force
Overseas Ribbon-Short
Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Long with oak
leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with seven
oak leaf clusters
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air
Force Training Ribbon
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred
Treasure, Japan
Legion of Honor (France)
Republic of Vietnam
Gallantry Cross with Palm
Republic of Vietnam Campaign
Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of
Kuwait)

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Able Aeronaut Award,
Pacific Air Forces
General Jimmy Doolittle Award, Air Force
Association
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
Second Lieutenant June 5, 1968
First
Lieutenant Dec. 5, 1969
Captain June 5, 1971
Major Sept. 1,
1979
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 1981
Colonel Nov. 1,
1984
Brigadier General March 1, 1991
Major General July 1,
1993
Lieutenant General July 1, 1995
General Aug. 1,
1997

(Current as of February
2004)