Piotrowski, John L. Gen.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN L. PIOTROWSKI
son of John and Mary (Hellstein) Piotrowski, is commander of 9th Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
General Piotrowski was born Feb. 17, 1934, in Detroit and graduated from Henry Ford Trade School, Dearborn, Mich., in 1951. He attended Arizona State University and Florida State University, and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in 1965, with a bachelor of science degree. He did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California and Auburn (Ala.) University, and attended the program for management development at Harvard University. The general completed Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1965; Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., in 1968; and the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare at Royal Air Force Station Manby, England, in 1971.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in September 1952. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, he was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., as a student in basic electronics and ground radar.
IN JULY 1953 General Piotrowski joined the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and served as an F-4 instructor pilot, chief of academics, an academic instructor and project officer for the U.S. Air Force operational test and evaluation of the Walleye missile program.
Upon completion of testing in the United States, he introduced the Walleye into combat with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Southeast Asia. Following graduation from the Armed forced Staff College in August 1968, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as an action officer under the deputy director of plans for force development.
From December 1970 to July 1971, he attended the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare. He was then assigned to Bitburg Air Base, Germany, as deputy commander for operations, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing. In January 1972 he took command of the 40th Tactical Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy.
IN APRIL 1974 General Piotrowski became chief of the U.S. Air Force Six-Man Group, located at Maxwell Air Force Base, directly responsible to the chief of staff. He became vice commander of the Keesler Technical Training Center, Keesler Air Force Base in March 1975.
He took command of the reactivated 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., in July 1976 and was instrumental in establishing the E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft as an operational Air Force weapon system. General Piotrowski was named deputy commander for air defense. Tactical Air Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., in September 1979. In April 1981 he became Tactical Air Command's deputy chief of staff for operations at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and in August 1982 was assigned as the command's vice commander. He assumed his present command in October 1982.
The general is a command pilot with more than 100 combat missions and 210 combat flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service. Medal, .Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters. Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Presidential Unit Citation emblem and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with three oak leaf clusters. He received the Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award for 1979 in December 1979.
He was promoted to lieutenant general Aug. 19, 1982, with same date of rank.
General Piotrowski is married to the former Sheila Dee Fredrickson of Racine, Wis. They have one daughter, Denise Lynn and two sons, Scott Lee and Jon Dee.

Source: Zgoda, Monday, April 15, 1985