Eight former Air Force communicators were inducted into the Air Force Communications and Information Hall of Fame during a ceremony held Dec. 11 at in Washington, D.C.
Lt. Gen. William J. Donahue
General Donahue was as a career communications officer beginning with his first tour of duty as a communications officer at the 2135th Communications Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He continued to serve in a variety of operational, support, and leadership positions at all echelons of command. He played a critical role in the evolution of Air Force communications in the post-cold war era. He completed his 33 years of service as the Air Force's top communicator, the Air Force Director of communications. General Donahue retired in 2000.
Lt. Gen. John L. "Jack" Woodward, Jr.
General Woodward brought about a new focus on the cyber warfare domain by maturing and operationalizing information operations. He championed the "Defense in Depth" concept for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and revolutionized the way the Department of Defense defends its networks and significantly improved network security across the DoD, worldwide. A visionary, he coined the term "Infostructure" to emphasize the dependence of communications on an information-centric technology framework. General Woodward retired in 2002 after 32 years of service.
Maj. Gen. George P. Lampe
General Lampe served his entire 31 ½ year Air Force career as a communications and computer systems officer, frequently in the tactical communications arena. Among his various assignments, General Lampe also served a tour as the Commandant of the Communications Combat Survival School at Altus AFB, OKla. He was responsible for joint staff support of five unified commands during Operation Just Cause. He was also the last commander of AFCC and the first commander of the Air Force C4 Agency. General Lampe retired from active duty in 1998.
Maj. Gen. Gerald L. Prather
General Prather enlisted in the Air Force in 1954, and subsequently received his pilot wings and commission in 1954. After completing 500 Vietnam combat missions, he began his communications career in 1968. His accomplishments include playing a key role in the relocation of the Air Force Communications Service to Scott AFB, Ill., securing Congressional funding for the Grant building, the new home for Air Force Communications Command, and also obtaining Air Staff support for the new C-140 flight check aircraft. General Prather retired in 1986.
Maj. Gen. John T. Stihl
General Stihl served the first 15 years of his career as a pilot, communications instructor, combat mission commander in Vietnam, and as the Southeast Asia desk officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency's Attache Affairs Division. Throughout his career, he was an advocate for the warfighter. He drove Tri-Service communication system into production, resulting in the first Joint-Service tactical digital communications system which proved critical to the success of Desert Storm. General Stihl culminated his distinguished career as Commander, Air Force Communications Command, retiring in 1988.
Brig. Gen. Duncan W. Campbell
General Campbell was commissioned through the ROTC program in 1959. He began his career as a communications officer in charge of radio and radar maintenance for the 1962nd Airways and Air Communications Services Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. After Vietnam, he assumed responsibility for the Air Force's automated digital network as Chief of the Networks Management Branch under the Air Force's Command, Control, and Communications Directorate in the Pentagon. He served his final tour of duty as Vice Commander, Air Force Communications Command. General Campbell retired from service in 1984.
Brig. Gen. Charles B. Jiggetts
General Jiggetts enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1944, was honorably discharged in 1946, and returned to service in 1950 as an Air Force officer. General Jiggetts served his formative years as an aircraft observer, radar intercept officer, and squadron radar officer before entering the communications field in 1959. He held several key leadership positions to include the vice commander and later commander, of Air Force Communications Command's Northern Communications Area. General Jiggetts completed his 32-year career as vice commander of Air Force Communications Command, retiring in 1982. General Jiggetts passed away on 16 March 2010.
Col. Gilbert L. Sentimore
Colonel Sentimore entered the Air Force in 1961. His 24 year Air Force communications career is one marked by a commitment to expanding the reach and ability of United States Air Force warfighters through the innovative use of technology. His brilliant, innovative approach to communications provided many firsts for the Air Force to include the first military interoperable transmission capability between analog and digital switches, and the first digital transmission over high frequency radio. He is also credited with successfully negotiating the tri-service tactical communications contract, delivering the equipment to the field after several incumbents had failed. He retired from the Air Force in 1985.