Robert H. Reed

{{primary sources|date=January 2011}} {{Infobox military person |name= Robert H. Reed |birth_date= {{birth date|1929|10|10}} |death_date= {{death date and age|2017|12|24|1929|10|10}} |image= General Robert Harvey Reed USAF.JPEG |caption= Official portrait |nickname= |birth_place= [[Elkhorn City, Kentucky]] |death_place=[[Myrtle Beach]], South Carolina |burial_place= |burial_label= |allegiance=United States |branch= [[United States Air Force]] |rank= [[File:US-O10 insignia.svg|30px]] [[General (United States)|General]] |service_years=1952–1988 |commands= [[354th Tactical Fighter Wing]]<br/ >Tactical Training, Davis-Monthan<br/ >[[Air Defense Weapons Center]]<br />Chief of Staff [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe]]<ref name="Biography">{{cite web|title=GENERAL ROBERT H. REED|url=http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6864|publisher=[[United States Air Force]]|accessdate=29 December 2010|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121212035525/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6864|archivedate=2012-12-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> |battles= {{tree list}} * [[Cold War]] ** [[Korean War]] ** [[Vietnam War]] {{tree list/end}} |awards= }}

'''Robert Harvey Reed''' (October 10, 1929 – December 24, 2017) was a [[General (United States)|General]] in the [[United States Air Force]] and the former chief of staff of the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe]].

==Biography==

===Early life=== Reed was born in 1929, in [[Elkhorn City, Kentucky]],<ref>Marquis Who's Who on the Web</ref> and graduated from Warfield High School, in [[Warfield, Kentucky]].<ref name=Biography />

From June 1952 to June 1953 he attended pilot training at [[Marana Air Base]], [[Arizona]], and [[Williams Air Force Base]], also in Arizona, as an aviation cadet. After graduating as a [[Second Lieutenant]], he completed the [[F-94C Starfire]] All-Weather Fighter-Interceptor School at [[Moody Air Force Base]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and in December 1953 was assigned to the [[332nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]] at [[New Castle Air Force Base]], [[Delaware]].<ref name=Biography />

He was assigned as an [[F-89D Scorpion]] pilot to the [[18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]], [[Ladd Air Force Base]], [[Alaska]], in July 1954. Upon completion of his Alaskan tour of duty in July 1956, he was assigned to the [[319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]] at [[Bunker Hill Air Force Base]], [[Indiana]]. Other squadron assignments included duty as weapons director and operations officer with the [[903d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron]], [[Gettysburg, South Dakota]]; [[740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron]], [[Ellsworth Air Force Base]], [[South Dakota]]; [[916th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron]], [[Prince George, British Columbia]]; and as flight commander, [[49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]], [[Griffiss Air Force Base]], [[New York (state)|New York]], where he flew [[F-101B Voodoo]]'s.<ref name=Biography /> He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from [[Syracuse University]], [[New York (state)|New York]], in 1959.

General Reed was assigned to Headquarters [[26th Air Division]] at [[Syracuse Hancock International Airport|Hancock Field]], [[New York (state)|New York]], in June 1963 as aide-de-camp to Major General [[Arthur C. Agan, Jr.]] Upon completing [[Air Command and Staff College]] in June 1965, he was assigned to Headquarters [[Air Defense Command]], [[Ent Air Force Base]], [[Colorado]]. While there he served as an operations staff officer and assistant executive officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. He also earned a master of public administration degree from [[The George Washington University]] that year.<ref name=Biography />

===Later career=== In September 1967 he went to [[Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base]], [[Missouri]]., where he worked for the commander, [[10th Air Force]], as special assistant for command planning. In July 1968 he transferred to the [[479th Tactical Fighter Wing]], [[George Air Force Base]], [[California]], and completed [[F-4 Phantom II]] combat crew training in preparation for an assignment to [[Southeast Asia]].<ref name=Biography />

The general transferred in December 1968 to the [[12th Tactical Fighter Wing]], [[Cam Ranh Bay Air Base]], [[Republic of Vietnam]], where he served as operations officer for the [[557th Tactical Fighter Squadron]]. While there he completed 305 combat hours in [[F-4 Phantom II]]s. After returning to the [[United States]] in December 1969, he entered [[F-106 Delta Dart]] combat crew training at [[Tyndall Air Force Base]], [[Florida]]. He then was assigned as operations officer for the [[84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]], [[Hamilton Air Force Base]], [[California]].<ref name=Biography />

Upon graduation from the [[Air War College]] in June 1972, he was assigned to Headquarters [[United States Air Force]], [[Washington D.C.]], as chief, Doctrine Development Branch, and later as assistant chief, Doctrine Division, in the Directorate of Doctrine, Concepts and Objectives, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations.<ref name=Biography />

In April 1974 he was assigned to the Air Force Six Man Group. This was a special study team established by the chief of staff to investigate and advise him on matters pertaining to the development and employment of Air Force forces. Upon completion of this study effort in March 1975, he was assigned to the [[354th Tactical Fighter Wing]], [[Myrtle Beach Air Force Base]], [[South Carolina]], as vice commander. He became commander in August 1976.<ref name=Biography /><ref name="Factsheet">{{cite web|title=354 Fighter Wing (PACAF)|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9965|publisher=[[United States Air Force]]|accessdate=30 December 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507070809/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9965|archivedate=7 May 2011}}</ref>

Reed was assigned to [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]], [[Arizona]], in April 1979 as commander, Tactical Training, Davis-Monthan. From July 1980 to August 1982 he served at [[Tyndall Air Force Base]] as commander of the [[Air Defense Weapons Center]]. He then transferred to Headquarters [[Tactical Air Command]], [[Langley Air Force Base]], [[Virginia]], as deputy chief of staff for operations. In September 1984 he became Air Force assistant vice chief of staff, [[Washington D.C.]] He also served as the Air Force representative, United States Delegation to the [[Military Staff Committee]], [[United Nations]]. He assumed his duty as the chief of staff of the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe]] in June 1986. He was promoted to General July 1, 1986, with same date of rank.<ref name=Biography />

==Death== Reed died at his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on December 24, 2017.<ref name=death>{{cite news|last1=Tomasic|first1=Megan|title=Gen. Robert H. Reed, former SHAPE chief of staff, dies at 88|url=https://www.stripes.com/gen-robert-h-reed-former-shape-chief-of-staff-dies-at-88-1.504433|accessdate=29 December 2017|publisher=Stars and Stripes|date=December 28, 2017|archive-date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229231736/https://www.stripes.com/gen-robert-h-reed-former-shape-chief-of-staff-dies-at-88-1.504433|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations== {| |[[File:COMMAND PILOT WINGS.png|150px]] |[[United States Aviator Badge|US Air Force Command Pilot Badge]] |- |[[File:Coat of arms of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.svg|70px]] |[[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|SACEUR]] Badge |} {| |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=80}} |[[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=80}} |[[Legion of Merit]] with one bronze [[oak leaf cluster]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon|width=80}} |[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] |- |[[File:Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|80px]] |[[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=10|type=oak|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |[[Air Medal]] with ten oak leaf clusters |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Service Commendation ribbon.svg|width=80}} |[[Joint Service Commendation Medal]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |[[Air Force Commendation Medal]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|other_device=v|name=Outstanding Unit ribbon|width=80}} |[[Outstanding Unit Award|Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]] with [["V" device]] and oak leaf cluster |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Combat Readiness Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} |[[Combat Readiness Medal]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|name=Army Good Conduct Medal ribbon|width=80}} |[[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Army Good Conduct Medal]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|name=National Defense Service Medal ribbon|width=80}} |[[National Defense Service Medal]] with one bronze [[service star]] |- |{{ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|name=Vietnam Service Ribbon|width=80}} |[[Vietnam Service Medal]] with four service stars |- |{{ribbon devices|number=8|type=oak|name=Air Force Longevity Service ribbon|width=80}} |[[Air Force Longevity Service Award]] with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters |- |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|name=USAF Marksmanship ribbon|width=80}} |[[Marksmanship Ribbon|Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon]] with service star |- |[[File:Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg|80px]] |[[Vietnam Gallantry Cross]] Unit Citation |- |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=80}} |[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]] |} *Reed had more than 6,100 flying hours.

==References== {{Air Force Historical Research Agency}} {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Robert}} [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:2017 deaths]] [[Category:United States Air Force generals]] [[Category:People from Pike County, Kentucky]] [[Category:Syracuse University alumni]] [[Category:George Washington University alumni]] [[Category:Air Command and Staff College alumni]] [[Category:Air War College alumni]] [[Category:United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War]] [[Category:Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]] [[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]] [[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]] [[Category:People from Martin County, Kentucky]]