[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          GEN. BUSTER GLOSSON

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I am grateful for the leadership of the 
distinguished chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. 
Nunn, as well as that of the remarkable senior Senator from South 
Carolina [Mr. Thurmond].
  They have advised on and consented to the nomination of Gen. Buster 
Glosson to retire as a lieutenant general, a wise and informed position 
the Senate will do well to follow.
  General Glosson's career has been spectacular. He has led people at 
the highest levels of Government both in peace and in war.
  His career began in 1965 when he was graduating from the ROTC Program 
at the University of North Carolina State. From that day on, his life 
has been a series of successfully completed missions and assignments. 
An extraordinary ability to inspire the confidence of his superiors and 
the loyalty of his subordinates have characterized his entire service.
  Success, Mr. President, is not always an unalloyed advantage. It has 
at least one negative effect. Those who cannot replicate it often feel 
constrained to denigrate it. In a pyramidal structure like the Air 
Force any senior officer is in a position of extreme visibility, a 
target, and inevitably attracts competition. And so it was with General 
Glosson.
  It is unfortunate that in the process of reviewing the general's 
qualifications, every possible decision was informed, or rather 
misinformed by the general's detractors rather than illuminated by his 
own performance and the testimony of those who knew him best. 
Otherwise, we would not now be discussing his nomination, for he would 
not have resigned.
  One of the most moving tributes that I have ever read was volunteered 
to the Senate Armed Services Committee by five pilots who flew, under 
General Glosson's direction, the previously untried F-117's, called by 
the world ``stealth bombers.''
  These are the aircraft that won the gulf war, aircraft Glosson had to 
send out knowing each pilot in them knew there was a high possibility 
he might not come home, not because of anything wrong with the planes 
or their pilots, but because the triple A was sometimes so thick in the 
air a bee would have been in danger.
  He instructed them not only in how to fly missions, but how to report 
on them on return--truthfully, whatever mistakes occurred. Mr. 
President, I would like the Nation to read that letter.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that that letter be printed at 
this point in the Record.

  If my grandchildren ever enter the armed services of their country, 
this is the kind of man I want them under, a man who tells his 
subordinates that their most important mission in life--not just in 
battle, but in life--is to take care of their people: a fighter pilot 
with over 3,800 flying hours who has never lost a wingman; a man who 
told a thousand fighter pilots a few hours before sending them to war:

       There is not a damn thing in Iraq worth dying for until the 
     first soldier, marine, or airman crosses the border * * * 
     then your responsibility has no limit * * * good luck and 
     Godspeed.

  Success, Mr. President, is not always an unalloyed advantage. It has 
at least one negative effect. Those who cannot replicate it often feel 
constrained to denigrate it. In a pyramidal structure like the Air 
Force any senior officer is in a position of extreme visibility, a 
target, competition. And so it was with Glosson.
  It is unfortunate that in the process of reviewing the general's 
qualifications, every possible decision was informed, or misinformed by 
the general's detractors rather than illuminated by his own 
performance. Otherwise, we would not now be discussing his nomination, 
for he would not have resigned.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the general's biography 
and related materials be included in the Record at this point.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                               September 20, 1994.
     Hon. Sam Nunn,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: We are Desert Storm veterans who are 
     concerned at the continuing negative portrayal of Lt. Gen. 
     Buster Glosson's integrity and offer our own experience in 
     Desert Storm in rebuttal. Each of us worked closely with 
     General Glosson during the war and personally observed his 
     honesty. It seems incomprehensible to us that the leader we 
     knew and observed under intense pressure during the war, 
     would be accused of ducking truthfulness. Two examples attest 
     to General Glosson's integrity under fire.
       In the final days before the war, General Glosson, as the 
     14th Air Division Provisional Commander, took it upon himself 
     to brief his flying wings. During these personal visits to 
     each Air Force fighter wing in theater, General Glosson 
     explained the pending campaign, emphasized the difference 
     between bravery and stupidity, and stressed the importance of 
     integrity in war. On integrity, he told us that we were human 
     and would make mistakes. When they happened, we had to admit 
     them or suffer the same consequences as his generation for 
     their lack of integrity during Vietnam or after the Panama F-
     117 incident. He stated, if a mosque was accidentally bombed, 
     tell your commander. Admit your mistakes so we can all finish 
     his war with our integrity intact.
       This same spirit and honesty and willingness to bare all 
     was also evident later in the war while General Glosson was 
     running the ``Black Hole'' as Director of Campaign Plans. 
     Each night, General Glosson personally reviewed the gun 
     cameras film of the F-117, F-111 and F-15B pilots. These were 
     the crews dropping precision weapons on the most difficult 
     targets, with some F-117 targets in urban, downtown Baghdad. 
     We worried about incidents of pilots mistakenly dropping 
     their bombs on the wrong target, and the potential for 
     collateral damage and civilian loss of life. As the 14th Air 
     Division Provisional Commander of all AF fighter wings in 
     theater, General Glosson was personally responsible for his 
     pilots' errors. Yet, in each case where bombs went astray. 
     General Glosson did not hesitate. He forwarded the gun camera 
     film to higher headquarters for public release.
       Detractors during the war and after have angrily accused 
     General Glosson of being blunt, tactless, intolerant of 
     sloppy work, and impatient with individuals who cannot give a 
     straight answer. Yet, even these rivals will admit that no 
     commander has been more honest and forthright with his 
     troops. Many Desert Storm veterans--soldiers, sailors, 
     airmen, and marines alike--owe their lives to General 
     Glosson's integrity and sound decisions.
       Having witnessed General Glosson's performance and 
     truthfulness under the pressure of war, we can only come to 
     one conclusion--he must be innocent. Please allow Lt. Gen. 
     Glosson to retire in grade, as he deserves.
           Sincerely,
     Robert D. Eckridge,
                                         Lieutenant Colonel, USAF.
     Thomas R. O'Boyle,
                                                      Major, USAF.
     Gregory A. ------,\1\
                                         Lieutenant Colonel, USAF.
     Gary W. Green,
                                         Lieutenant Colonel, USAF.
     ------ ------,\1\
                                                      Major, USAF.
     \1\Illegible signature.
                                  ____


                              [Biography]

                                       Secretary of the Air Force,


                                     Office of Public Affairs,

                                                   Washington, DC.


                  lieutenant general buster c. glosson

       Lieutenant General Buster C. Glosson is deputy chief of 
     staff for plans and operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, 
     Washington, DC. He is responsible to the secretary of the Air 
     Force and chief of staff for the planning, operations, 
     requirements and force structure necessary to support the 
     warfighter with air and space power. As the Air Force 
     operations deputy to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he determines 
     operational requirements, concepts, doctrine, strategy, 
     training and the assets necessary to support National 
     Security Objectives and Military Stategy.
       The general entered the Air Force in 1965 as a 
     distinguished graduate of the University of North Carolina 
     State Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He flew combat 
     missions as a flight commander in both North and South 
     Vietnam. He commanded the Air Force Fighter Weapons Squadron 
     and two tactical fighter wings. During the Gulf War, he 
     commanded the 14th Air Division (Provisional) and was 
     director of campaign plans for U.S. Central Command Air 
     Forces, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is a command pilot with more 
     than 3,600 flying hours primarily in the F-4, F-15C and F-
     15E.
       General Glosson and his wife, Vicki, are both from 
     Greensboro, NC. They are the parents of a son and a daughter.

                               Education

       1965--Bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, 
     North Carolina State University.
       1977--Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
       1981--National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, 
     Washington, DC.

                              Assignments

       1. March 1965-July 1966, student, pilot training, Moody Air 
     Force Base, Ga.
       2. July 1965-December 1967, instructor pilot, T-38, 3500th 
     Pilot Training Squadron, Air Training Command, Reese Air 
     Force Base, Texas.
       3. December 1967-September 1971, T-38 Instructor, academic 
     instructor and flight examiner; assistant operations officer, 
     then operations officer, 3250th Fighter Training Squadron, 
     Air Training Command, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
       4. September 1971-April 1972, student, USAF Operational 
     Training Course, F-4, 4435th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 
     Tactical Air Command, George Air Force Base, Calif.
       5. April 1972-September 1972, aircraft commander, F-4E, 4th 
     Tactical Figher Squadron, Pacific Air Forces, Takhil Royal 
     Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.
       6. September 1972-April 1973, air operations officer, 366th 
     Tactical Fighter Wing, Pacific Air Forces, Takhil Royal Thai 
     Air Force Base, Thailand.
       7. April 1973-September 1974, chief, fighter and forward 
     air controller, standardization and evaluation, Headquarters 
     13th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Clark Air Base, 
     Philippines.
       8. September 1974-July 1977, executive officer to the 
     director; special assistant to the director, legislative 
     liaison, Washington, DC.
       9. July 1977-January 1978, student, Armed Forces Staff 
     College, NDU, Norfolk, Va.
       10. January 1978-August 1978, student, USAF Operational 
     Training Course, F-4D, 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 
     Tactical Air Command, Homestead Air Force Base, Fla.
       11. August 1978-August 1979, chief, Standardization and 
     Evaluation Division, 58th Tactical Fighter Wing, Tactical Air 
     Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
       12. August 1979-June 1980, executive officer to the 
     commander, USAF TFWC, TAC, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
       13. June 1980-August 1980, chief, Standardization and 
     Evaluation Division, 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Tactical 
     Air Command, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
       14. August 1980-July 1981, commander, 414th Fighter Weapons 
     Squadron, TAC, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
       15. July 1981-June 1982, student, National War College, 
     Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
       16. June 1982-July 1983, chief, Tactical Forces Division, 
     deputy director for forces, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, 
     Washington, D.C.
       17. July 1983-August 1984, chief, Programs Division, Deputy 
     Director for Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air force, 
     Washington, D.C.
       18. August 1984-July 1986, vice commander, then commander, 
     347th Tactical Fighter Wing. Tactical Air Command, Moody Air 
     Force Base, GA.
       19. July 1988-June 1987, commander, 1st Tactical Fighter 
     Wing, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force 
     Base, VA.
       20. June 1987-September 1988, deputy chief of staff, plans 
     and programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, 
     Ramstein Air Base, West Germany.
       21. September 1988-July 1990, deputy assistant secretary of 
     defense (legislative affairs), OSD, Washington, D.C.
       22. July 1990-August 1990, deputy commander, Joint Task 
     Force Middle East, USCENTCOM.
       23. August 1990-May 1991, CENTAF director of campaign 
     plans, USCENTCOM, and commander, 14th AD (Provisional), 
     Rlyadh, Saudi Arabia.
       24. May 1991-May 1992, director, Legislative Liaison, and 
     director AF Issues Team, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
       25. June 1992-present, deputy chief of staff for plans and 
     operations, Washington, D.C.

                           Flight information

       Rating: Command pilot
       Flight hours: More than 3,600
       Aircraft flown: F-4, F-5, F-15C, F-15E and T-38

                      Major awards and decorations

       Distinguished Service Medal
       Defense Superior Service Medal
       Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
       Distinguished Flying Cross
       Defense Meritorious Service Medal
       Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
       Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
       Air Force Commendation Medal
       Presidential Unit Citation
       Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with ``V'' device and two 
     oak leaf clusters
       National Defense Service Medal with service star
       Vietnam Service Medal with service star
       Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
       Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
       Kuwait Liberation Medal

                           Recent publication

       ``Impact of Precision Weapons on Air Combat Operations,'' 
     Air Power Journal, Summer 1993.

                      Effective dates of promotion

       Second Lieutenant, Jan. 23, 1985
       First Lieutenant, Sept. 6, 1966
       Captain, May 25, 1988
       Major, Aug. 1, 1976
       Lieutenant Colonel, Dec 1, 1979
       Colonel, Oct 1, 1982
       Brigadier General, July 1, 1988
       Major General, Jun 1, 1991
       Lieutenant General, Jun 1, 1992
       (Current as of October 1993).

                          ____________________