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Retired May 1, 1983
Major General Albert G. (Jerry) Rogers retired from the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, VA.
General Rogers was born in 1932, in Fishkill, NY. He graduated from Kent School (CT), a boys' Episcopalian boarding school in 1950, and from Oberlin (OH) College in 1954 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. The General earned a master's degree in business administration from George Washington University, Washington, DC in 1967. In the Air Force, he completed a number of formal military schools including Squadron Officer School in 1962, and Air Command and Staff College in 1967, both located at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, and the Naval War College, Newport, RI in 1973.
He earned his wings and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in December 1955 through the aviation cadet program. Following pilot and helicopter training, he was stationed at Sewart Air Force Base, TN, from December 1955 to April 1956. General Rogers was next assigned as a pilot with the 23rd Helicopter Squadron, Phalsbourg Air Base, France. From October 1957 to October 1960, he served as an RF-84 and RF-101 reconnaissance pilot with the 32nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Phalsbourg Air Base.
In November 1960, General Rogers was assigned to the 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, SC, flying RF-101 Voodoos. As a member of the 29th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, General Rogers was one of 12 RF-101 Voodoo pilots who flew the Air Force low level reconnaissance missions over Cuba in the Cuban Crisis of October 1962. This was a response to a crisis, the success of which may well have stopped a nuclear war.
In March 1963, General Rogers was assigned to Headquarters 13th Air Force Clark Air Base, Philippines with shared duty to 7th Air Division, Tan Son Nhut Air Base (Saigon), Republic of Vietnam.
Upon graduation from the Air Command and Staff College in June 1967, he became a staff officer in the Directorate of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. General Rogers returned to Shaw Air Force Base in July 1970 to transition into the RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft.
The General joined the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, in March 1971. While there he served as Chief of the Operations Plans Division and as the Military Assistance Advisory Group's Deputy Director of Operations. In June 1972, he entered the Naval War College.
Following graduation in July 1973, General Rogers returned to Shaw Air Force Base as assistant and later Director of Operations of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. After completing the Air Force aircraft maintenance school, he became the wing's Deputy Commander for Maintenance in July 1974. In August 1975, he was named Vice Commander of the wing and in March 1976 became Commander.
He was then assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base as assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for plans. In March 1978 he was named assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for logistics. He assumed the duties of Deputy Chief of Staff for logistics in April 1979.
The General is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours. He flew combat missions in Southeast Asia with the Vietnamese Air Force in UH-1s and F-5s. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and Air Force Commendation Medal.
He was promoted to Major General August 1, 1981, with date of rank April 1, 1978. The General retired from the Air Force in May 1983 after 30 years of service and worked in private industry for more than ten years. First, as a consultant to the aerospace industry and, then, as Vice President for Engineering for a company providing electronic counter-measures training to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, the German Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air Force.
General Rogers is a member of Air Force Association, Order of Daedalians, Society of Logistic Engineers, and Rolling Thunder Chapter NC-5. He is the father of two grown children and is married to Carolyn Hamilton Rogers. They reside in Newport News, VA.
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