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General Edgar A. Chavarrie

Lieutenant General Edgar A. Chavarrie was deputy assistant personnel secretary of defense for military and force management, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.

General Chavarrie was born in Douglas, Ariz., in 1925. He graduated from high school in Los Angeles in 1943 and has a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from the University of Southern California and a master of arts degree in economics from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1961 and the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., in 1967.

He entered the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in August 1943 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He flew combat tours of duty as a B-25 bombardier-navigator in the 340th Bombardment Group, 12th Air Force, in the Mediterranean theater. He was released from active duty in 1945.

In 1950, at the outbreak of the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty and flew a combat tour of duty as a B-26 navigator with the 452nd Bombardment Wing in South Korea. Upon his return to the United States, he entered pilot training and was awarded his wings in December 1952. In January 1953 he was assigned with the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart Air Force Base, Tenn. From October 1956 to September 1960, he was on the staff in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

The general entered the Air Command and Staff College in September 1960. Following graduation he served at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany, from July 1961 to September 1962, in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence.

He returned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in October 1962 as an operations staff officer in the War Games Division of the Air Battle Analysis Center in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations. In June 1965 he was reassigned within the deputate as a plans and programs officer in the Force Plans Division, then moved to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis.

Following graduation from the National War College in July 1967, he was assigned to the Strategic Plans Branch, Plans and Policy Division at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium. His principal duty was as Supreme Allied Commander Europe liaison officer with the Nuclear Planning Group staff at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

In July 1970 he returned to Air Force headquarters as chief, Europe and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Branch in the Directorate of Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations. He became the assistant deputy director for Joint Chiefs of Staff Matters, in the Directorate of Plans, in October 1970, and in June 1971 was assigned as deputy assistant for National Security Council Matters in the same directorate.

From December 1971 to June 1975, the general was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the special assistant for joint matters in the Office of the Director, Joint Staff. He then joined the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs as a deputy assistant to the secretary.

In August 1978 General Chavarrie was named director of plans and policy at Headquarters U.S. European Command in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany. Upon his return to the United States in September 1981, he became the assistant deputy chief of staff for programs and resources at Air Force headquarters. 

The general is a command pilot and navigator-observer. During his flying career, he has logged more than 4,000 hours as a pilot and navigator-observer in twin-engine and single-engine jet aircraft. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation and Spanish Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit with distinctive white.

He was promoted to lieutenant general Sept. 1, 1983, with same date of rank.