Page 107 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

GRADY VENABLE
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, AIR FORCE
Grady Venable entered the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant through the AFROTC Program at Montana State University in November 1963. He attended Navigation school at James Connally AFB, Waco, Texas and attended B-52 bombardier schools at Mather and Castle AFBs California. He flew as a navigator for 1 year at Barksdale AFB, LA., and was upgraded to Radar Bombardier before leaving for South Vietnam in July 1969. Promoted to Captain, he was assigned to the 8th Tactical Bomb Squadron at Phan Rang AB to fly B-57 fighter Bombers over the Ho Chi Min trail. He was reassigned to an Electronic Surveillance aircraft at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam after the B-57s were withdrawn. After Vietnam he attended Louisiana Tech University to get an MBA with a computer specialty. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Pentagon as an Air Staff Officer representing the Air Force on Joint Chiefs of Staff matters of a technical nature. He helped implement computerization of the US Military Forces by providing a network that served the Commander in Chiefs and all the US Military Services. He was promoted to Major and attended Air Command & Staff College, then in 1975 he went to the Headquarters United States Air Force, Europe, at Ramstein AFB Germany. He was assigned in 1978 to the HQ European Command and served as the Air Born Command Post Liaison and implemented a new Command, Control, Computer, and Communications Directorate at HQ European Command. He was promoted to Lt. Col., and in 1981 was assigned to the Military Airlift Command to implement a modern Command and Control System for CINCMAC. Promoted to Col. in 1984, he was assigned to Headquarters USAF Innovation Task Force to develop systems and requirements for the Air Force for 2025. His last assignment in the Air Force was with the Command, Control, Communications and Computer, Assistant Chief of Staff to help establish a new Air Staff Directorate.
Some Awards and Medals; Legion of Merit; Distinguished Flying Cross; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Combat Readiness Medal; and Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
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