Eugene E. Habiger

Eugene Emil Habiger (June 11, 1939 – March 18, 2022) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Strategic Command (USCINCSTRAT) from 1996 to 1998. After retiring from the military on August 1, 1998, he served as Director of Security and Emergency Operations, U.S. Department of Energy, from 1999 to 2001.

Born in Oakland, California in 1939, Habiger completed Officer Training School in September 1963 as a distinguished graduate. He has held a variety of staff and flying assignments including survival instructor, intelligence support project officer for major weapons systems, major command combat operations planner, executive officer and two Air Staff assignments. Flying assignments include aircraft commander, instructor pilot, operations officer, squadron commander and wing commander in two bomb wings. He was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, primarily in bomber aircraft. During the Vietnam War, he flew 150 combat missions and participated in the B-52 Arc Light operations. Habiger died on March 18, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas, aged 82.

Education 1963 Bachelor of Science degree, University of Georgia 1971 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 1974 Master of Science degree in systems management, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 1975 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 1982 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 1986 Executive Management Program, Penn State University 1988 Program for Senior Executives and National Security Management, Harvard University, Massachusetts 1989 Fellow, Seminar XXI Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Assignments March 1959 – May 1963, enlisted, U.S. Army Infantry; later served in U.S. Army Reserve June 1963 – September 1963, student and distinguished graduate, Officer Training School, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas October 1963 – May 1964, student, Air Intelligence Officer Course, Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado May 1964 – July 1965, instructor, U.S. Air Force Survival School, Stead Air Force Base, Nevada July 1965 – August 1966, student, pilot training, Williams Air Force Base, Arizona September 1966 – January 1967, student, B-52 combat crew training, Castle Air Force Base, California January 1967 – November 1970, B-52 pilot and aircraft commander, 524th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Wing, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan October 1969 – April 1970, B-52 pilot, Arc Light operations in Southeast Asia November 1970 – January 1971, student, C-7A training, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas January 1971 – September 1971, C-7A pilot and instructor pilot, 457th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 483rd Airlift Wing, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam September 1971 – August 1974, intelligence support project officer for F-15 and A-10 weapons systems and the Airborne Warning and Control System, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia August 1974 – June 1975, student and distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama June 1975 – September 1977, operations officer, 644th Bombardment Squadron, 410th Bombardment Wing, K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan September 1977 – January 1980, combat operations planner, later executive officer to the deputy chief of staff, operations and plans, and the deputy director for the Single Integrated Operational Plan, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska January 1980 – July 1981, commander, 325th Bombardment Squadron, later assistant deputy commander for operations, 92nd Bombardment Wing, both at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington July 1981 – June 1982, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. June 1982 – April 1983, chief, strategic offensive forces division, deputy directorate for force development, directorate of plans, deputy chief of staff, plans and operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. April 1983 – October 1983, deputy assistant director for Joint and National Security Council Matters, directorate of plans, deputy chief of staff, plans and operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. October 1983 – August 1984, executive officer to the Air Force vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. August 1984 – March 1985, vice commander, 5th Bombardment Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota March 1985 – January 1986, commander, 379th Bombardment Wing, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan January 1986 – January 1987, commander, 2nd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana January 1987 – January 1988, inspector general, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska January 1988 – September 1991, deputy director, later director, programs and evaluation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. During this assignment, he was also the chairman of the Program Review Committee and the Air Force Board August 1991 – April 1995, vice commander, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas April 1995 – February 1996, deputy chief of staff for personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. February 1996 – 1998, commander in chief, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska

Flight information Rating: Command pilot Flight hours: More than 5,000 hours Aircraft flown: B-52, KC-135, EC-135, KC-10, C-7A and T-39

Major awards and decorations

Effective dates of promotion Second Lieutenant September 24, 1963 First Lieutenant March 24, 1965 Captain April 1, 1967 Major June 1, 1974 Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 1979 Colonel July 1, 1981 Brigadier General May 1, 1988 Major General December 1, 1990 Lieutenant General March 26, 1993 General March 1, 1996