Terry Lee Gabreski
Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force
Terry Lee Walter was born in 1952, the daughter of U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Alonzo J. Walter, Jr. [Honoree Record ID 229636], then a test pilot, and Doris Walter, who had also been a commissioned officer. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in History at Louisiana State University, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta, Walter joined the U.S. Air Force. She attended Air Force Officer Training School, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 10 September 1974.
Walter served as one of the original female Air Training Officers charged with mentoring the first female cadets of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Then-Lt. Walter served in this role from January 1976 to September 1977 for the Class of 1980 female cadets.
Gabreski has served as Director of Maintenance for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. She has directed two aircraft maintenance units, served as a squadron maintenance supervisor in three units, commanded three maintenance squadrons and a logistics group, and twice served as a major air command director of logistics. She has served at the Air Staff, Secretary of the Air Force and Joint Staff levels.
During Operation Allied Force in the 1999 air war over Serbia, Brigadier General Gabreski directed logistics efforts as the A-4 for the air war across the entire theater. Prior to her final Air Force command, she was Commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, OK.
In her final assignment, Lt Gen Terry L. Gabreski was Vice Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. That command conducts research, development, test and evaluation, and provides acquisition management and logistics support necessary to keep Air Force weapon systems ready for war.
During her first fifteen years in the Air Force, Walter had the following specific assignments:
1. September 1974 - January 1975, student, avionics technical training, Lowry AFB, CO
2. January 1975 - December 1975, officer in charge, Communications and Navigation Branch, 3242nd Avionics Maintenance Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL
3. January 1976 - September 1977, air training officer, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
4. September 1977 - September 1979, maintenance supervisor, 363rd Component Repair Squadron, and later, officer in charge, 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Shaw AFB, SC
5. September 1979 - July 1980, Executive Assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Installations, the Pentagon, Washington, DC
6. August 1980 - February 1982, officer in charge, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, Hill AFB, UT
7. February 1982 - December 1982, maintenance supervisor, 4487th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Hill AFB, UT
8. December 1982 - June 1983, Commander, 388th Component Repair Squadron, Hill AFB, UT
9. June 1983 - May 1984, maintenance supervisor, 8th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
10. June 1984 - June 1985, student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, KS
11. July 1985 - July 1987, Commander, 33rd Component Repair Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL
12. August 1987 - August 1988, Chief, Weapons System Support Division, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI
13. September 1988 - May 1989, Commander, 3rd Aircraft Generation Squadron, Clark Air Base, Philippines
14. May 1989 - July 1990, Assistant Deputy Commander for Maintenance, 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Clark AB, Philippines
In 1989 Walters, now a Lieutenant Colonel, married USAF Lt. Col. Donald Francis Gabreski, son of World war II and Korean War ace, Colonel Francis S. Gabreski [Honoree Record ID 229634], and they had two sons, born in 1992 and 1995 while she was a Colonel.
Following her 1989 marriage, Gabreski served in the following assignments:
15. July 1990 - July 1991, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL
16. July 1991 - July 1994, Politico-Military Planner, Asia-Pacific Division, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, DC
17. July 1994 - June 1995, Commander, 325th Logistics Group, Tyndall AFB, FL
18. June 1995 - April 1997, Director of Technology and Industrial Support, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, OK
19. April 1997 - June 1998, Director, C-5 Aircraft Directorate, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly AFB, TX
20. July 1998 - January 2000, Director of Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
21. January 2000 - August 2001, Director of Maintenance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC
22. August 2001 - December 2003, Director of Logistics, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
23. December 2003 - August 2005, Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, OK
24. August 2005 - December 2009, Vice Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Joint Assignment
July 1991 - July 1994, Politico-Military Planner, Asia-Pacific Division, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a Colonel
Retirement
Lt Gen Gabreski retired from the Air Force on 1 January 2010. Until her retirement, she was the U.S. Air Force's highest-ranking active-duty woman. She was succeeded by Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger.
At her retirement, Gabreski noted that she applied three times for pilot training but had been turned down each time because, at only five feet tall, she could not meet the minimum height requirements for the T-38 Talon trainer.
Education
1973 Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
1977 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
1978 Master's degree in Public Administration, Golden Gate University
1985 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS
1991 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL
1993 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fellow, Washington, DC
1994 Executive Program for Senior Officials in National Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
1997 Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, VA
2002 The General Manager Program, Harvard Business School, Cambridge, MA
2008 The Program on Negotiation for Senior Executives, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA
2009 AFSO21 Executive Leadership Course, University of Tennessee College of Business, Knoxville
Medals, Awards & Badges
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with Silver and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Recognition Ribbon with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
Air Force Longevity Service Award with Silver and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with Bronze Service Star
Air Force Training Ribbon
Master Aircraft Maintenance Badge
Parachutist Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Headquarters Air Force Badge
Honors
1983 USAF Aircraft Maintenance Company Grade Officer of the Year
1999 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award
Effective Dates of Promotions
Second Lieutenant: 10 September 1974
First Lieutenant: 10 September 1976
Captain: 10 September 1978
Major: 1 August 1984
Lieutenant Colonel: 1 July 1988
Colonel: 1 December 1992
Brigadier General: 1 March 1999
Major General: 1 December 2002
Lieutenant General: 1 August 2005
