Lieutenant General George Rhodes is vice commander, Air Force Logistics Command, with headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
General Rhodes was born in Corrine, W.Va., in 1923. He attended the University of Maryland and The George Washington University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in July 1940 and graduated from Officer Candidate School in July 1943 with a commission as second lieutenant.
He then was assigned as instructor engineer, aircraft maintenance officer and flightline officer at Mobile, Ala., and later served in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. In 1945 he became supervisor of the Air Transport Command C-54 maintenance activity at Topeka Air Force Station, Kan.
Between January 1947 and September 1952, he served first as maintenance production manager with the Fourteenth Air Force; and then as chief of depot maintenance, plans and financial management at Air Materiel Command Headquarters, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
In October 1952 General Rhodes was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in the Directorate of Maintenance and Engineering, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Materiel. He served successively as assistant for budget, aircraft maintenance staff officer, and as chief of the Aircraft Modernization Branch. In July 1956 he entered the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
General Rhodes was transferred in August 1957 to the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group, Taiwan, Republic of China, and became senior maintenance adviser to the Chinese Air Service Command. He returned to the United States in August 1959 to attend the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va.
In February 1960 General Rhodes was reassigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Systems and Logistics, and served in the Directorate of Maintenance Engineering as Chief, Financial Management Branch. In July 1960 he became director of materiel in the Requirements and Programs Branch, and later was appointed chief of the branch. In August 1965 he entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C.
In September 1966 General Rhodes was transferred to Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, as deputy commander for materiel, 7101st Air Base Wing, with additional duty as commander, 7101st Materiel Squadron. In August 1967 he moved to Lindsey Air Station, Germany, as director of maintenance engineering, in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Materiel,: U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
In July 1969 he joined the San Antonio Air Materiel Area at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, as director of materiel management, and in July 1970 became vice commander.
General Rhodes was assigned to Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in August 1971, as assistant deputy chief of staff, Materiel Management. He became deputy chief of staff, Materiel Management, in December 1971, and assumed duties as chief of staff in November 1973.
In March 1975 General Rhodes was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force for duty as assistant deputy chief of staff, Systems and Logistics. In August 1975 he returned to Headquarters AFLC to serve as vice commander.
His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with oak leaf cluster, and the Distinguished Unit Badge of China.
General Rhodes' hometown is Red Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general effective Sept. 1, 1975, with date of rank Aug. 29, 1975.