Retired effective
August 1, 1996
Brigadier General Kenneth S. Peterson is the commander of the 102nd Fighter Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass. The 102nd Wing is the host organization on the 22,000 acre Massachusetts Military Reservation, and in addition to its own combat readiness is responsible for providing support to 19 other organizations on the Massachusetts Military Reservation, including Coast Guard and Army National Guard flying units.
A 1966 graduate of Penn State University, he is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours in fighter aircraft. He flew 212 combat missions in Southeast Asia in the F-100. He has served as a dual qualified T-38 & T-37 instructor functional check pilot, F-101 fighter pilot, and as an F-100 and F-106 instructor pilot, functional check pilot, and flight examiner. General Peterson has held positions of flight commander, chief of operations plans, and director of operations. He is current and fully combat qualified in the F-15 "Eagle."
General Peterson graduated first in his pilot training class and was Top Gun in his F-100 combat crew training course. He has competed as a pilot, team captain, and team leader during three William Tell worldwide air-to-air weapons meets. In 1975, he led the 102nd Fighter Wing's first intercept of a Russian TU-95 Bear aircraft off the east coast of the United States, and holds the Master of Air Defense.
1966 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, Penn State University
1977 United States Air Force Master of Air Defense, Peterson Air Force Base,
Colo.
1982 United States Air Force Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1984 National Defense University, by seminar
1. May 1966 - May 1967, student, Pilot Training, 3553rd Pilot Training Squadron,
Moody Air Force Base, Ga.
2. June 1967 - January 1968, student, F-l00 Combat Crew Training, 522nd Tactical
Fighter Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
3. February 1968 - August 1968, pilot, F-l00, 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron,
Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam
4. August 1968 - September 1968, forward air controller, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
5. September 1968 - March 1969, pilot, F-l00, Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of
Vietnam.
6. March 1969 - May 1969, student, F-101 Combat Crew Training, Tyndall Air Force
Base, Fla.
7. May 1969 - December 1969, pilot, F-101, 2nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron,
Suffolk County Air Force Base, N.Y.
8. December 1969 - May 1971, assistant chief of flight test, 3615th Pilot Training
Wing, Craig Air Force Base, Ala.
9. June 1971 - October 1971, pilot, F-100, 101st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Otis
Air National Guard Base, Mass.
10. October 1971 - October 1971 student, F-l00 Instructor Pilot Training, 162nd
Tactical Fighter Group, Tucson, Ariz.
11. October 1971 - May 1972, instructor pilot and flight examiner, F-100, 101st
Tactical Fighter Squadron, Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass.
12. May 1972 - Jul 1972, student, F-106 Combat Crew Training, Tyndall Air Force
Base, Fla.
13. July 1972 - March 1976, pilot, F-106, 101st Fighter Squadron, Otis Air National
Guard Base, Mass.
14. March 1976 - March 1977, flight commander, F-106, 101st Fighter Squadron,
Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass
15. March 1977 - April 1977, student, Instrument Pilot Instructor School, Randolph
Air Force Base, Tex.
16. April 1977 - July 1983, flight commander and instructor pilot, F-106, 101st
Fighter Squadron, Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass.
17. July 1983 - January 1986, director of operations, 102nd Fighter Wing, Otis
Air National Guard Base, Mass.
18. January 1986 - October 1987, chief of operations plans, 102nd Fighter Wing,
Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass.
19. October 1987 - December 1987, student, F-15 Combat Crew Training, 325th
Tactical Training Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
20. December 1987 - December 1990, chief of operations plans, 102nd Fighter
Wing, Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass.
21. December 1990 - March 1993, director of operations, Headquarters, Massachusetts
Air National Guard.
22. March 1993 - August 1996, commander, 102nd Fighter Wing, Otis Air National
Guard Base, Mass.
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-l00, F-101, F-106, F-15
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with ten oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor
Combat Readiness Medal with twelve oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Massachusetts National Guard Desert Storm Service Medal
Second Lieutenant Mar 26, 1966
First Lieutenant Nov 6, 1967
Captain May 6, 1969
Major Apr 24, 1976
Lieutenant Colonel Jul 17, 1982
Colonel Dec 1, 1990
Brigadier General Sept 23, 1994
(Current as of August 1996)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.