Charles E. Shannon – Brigadier General, United States Air Force

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Courtesy of the United States Air Force:

BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES E. SHANNON
Retired, Died April 9, 1977

Brigadier General Charles E. Shannon wass assistant director for installations and logistics to the director, National Security Agency and Chief, Central Security Service, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. He was responsible for the conduct of logistics, procurement and support operations to meet NSA/CSS cryptologic community requirements.

General Shannon was born in 1923, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from South High School, Youngstown, Ohio, in 1941. He graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, Long Island, in 1944; attended Youngstown University; and received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Maryland.

General Shannon served with the U.S. Merchant Marine from November 1942 to May 1946. He entered the U.S. Air Force in April 1949 as an aviation cadet, and received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in May 1950 at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

He then was assigned as a C-97 pilot in the 1266th Air Transport Squadron, MATS, at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, with later assignments as a C-97 pilot at Westover Air Force Base, Mass., in July 1953, and Travis Air Force Base, California, in November 1953.

During 1956 General Shannon attended the Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, and upon graduation in October 1956 he became an aircraft maintenance officer for the 1607th Maintenance Group, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. In November 1958 he was transferred to Keflavik, Iceland, as an aircraft maintenance officer for the
1400th Field Maintenance Squadron.

In December 1959 he was assigned to the 1254th Air Transport Group (now the 89th Military Airlift Wing) located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. In September 1961 he joined the 1254th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base as the workload control officer and the assistant maintenance control officer. He entered the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia., in February 1964.

General Shannon was assigned to the 627th Military Airlift Support Squadron at Mildenhall, England, in June 1964, as aircraft maintenance officer. From June 1967 until December 1968, he served as chief, Airlift Command Post, 62d Military Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force Base, Washington. In January 1969 he assumed command of the 617th Military Airlift Support Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.

General Shannon joined Headquarters Military Airlift Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, in February 1970 as chief, Operations Branch, Inspection Division, Office of the Inspector General. In June 1971 he became commander of the 1400th Air Base Wing, with dual responsibility as commander of Scott Air Force Base. In the
latter position, he was responsible for providing support for all units on base, including Headquarters MAC.

In May 1973 General Shannon became commander of MAC's 60th Military Airlift Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. In October 1973, he was assigned as vice commander of the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area (now Air Logistics Center), with headquarters at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

General Shannon assumed his present duty as assistant director for installations and logistics, NSA/CSS, in June 1976.

He has 9,000 flying hours and has flown the C-5, C-141, C-131, C-124, C-97, C-54, C-47, B-25 and several U.S. Air Force light aircraft. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf
clusters, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general on May 1, 1974, with date of rank April 30, 1974.

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