Thomas C. Richards
From USAFA Folklore
| Thomas C. Richards | |
|---|---|
| 1930 - | |
| USAFA position(s): | Commandant, 1978-81 Air Officer Commanding, 1969-72 |
| Rank: | General |
| Nickname(s): | "King Richards" |
| Awards and Recognition: | |
| USAFA Class: | |
| Cadet squadron: | |
| Cadet Activities: | |
| Official bio: | http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6899 |
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General Thomas C. Richards was the tenth Commandant of Cadets, serving in that position from 1978 to 1981.
Contents |
[edit] Spirit Missions
General Richards, also known to cadets as "King Richards" was the object of much cadet anguish, resulting in several notable spirit missions:
[edit] Accounts
- In those days many dinks would "display" on their bookshelves empty booze or beer bottles as a souvenir of some night of wanton drunkenness. Ditto for Bud stickers on the bulletin boards, etc. During the reign of King Richards, some CW genius decided that this constituted "glorification of alcohol" and all traces of these artifacts would be banished forthwith. Meanwhile, they erect this gigantic new scoreboard in Falcon Stadium with "Budweiser" emblazoned across the top. TCR convenes a Comm’s Call to inspire us with his leadership and makes the mistake of opening it up to questions. One guy stands up and says, "Sir, how come having an empty beer bottle in our rooms is now prohibited because it glorifies alcohol but it’s OK for the Academy to have a 40 foot Budweiser sign in Falcon Stadium?" My recollection is that Richards said, "Is that the policy? It’s not anymore" and we all put our whisky bottles back up. Now I know this seems wholly out of character, and it’s virtually impossible to conceive that there was some power-mad O-6 in CW (hey, what are the odds of that?) making his own policy, but this is what my memory tells me. I also went through SOS while Richards was AU Commander and our class included one of the perps from ‘79’s "Can’t Make It Longer" banner. In his introductory remarks, Richards said, "Some of you know me from my time as Commandant at the Academy, and at least one of you probably wishes he had never met me." Much laughter from the zoombags and many puzzled looks from remaining 90% of the students. - (e-mail, 4-20-1999)
- During BCT, we were herded into the Big Blue Bedroom one night. The lights went down, and a real whiz bang movie about the Thunderbirds played (never mind it was kind of vintage stuff as they were flying F-4s). At the end of the short movie, the lights came up and King Richards strode onto the stage. He was a pretty imposing guy to a bean head 18 year old, I can tell you, and I felt myself tensing up from the relative safety of my seat amongst the anonymous masses. He stood there for a while, scanning the room. Then he leaned forward and said "If that movie doesn't get your pulse pounding and heart racing, ladies and gentlemen, then you are in the wrong place!!" The he went on an illogical diatribe, the highlight of which was when he pounded the podium and shouted "I will NOT tolerate violation of regulations in the name of spirit!" Suddenly, he stopped speaking and stared right into the faceless crowd. Horrifyingly, he seemed to be staring right at me. He said "You, mister!!" I almost shot up out of my chair to attention, but through some Herculean feat of physical and psychological restraint, I remained seated. He shouted again. "You, mister!! Sitting next to the young lady with the crutches. Wake her up!!" About two seats to my left, I saw a pair of crutches and Little Miss Sleepyhead, flanked on each side by terrified basics trying to stir her from her slumber. When her head came up, he railed on her about sleeping during his talk, but he reserved most of his ire for the two basics next to her for allowing her to fall asleep.
- When I was a 3-degree, a suggestion was submitted to the Comm that cadets no longer are forced to buy the overcoats since most turned them in to the tailor shop when they graduated anyway. Word came that the Comm saw that there was a problem and that it would be solved. Cadet life actually brightened for a moment while it appeared that logic and common sense would prevail. Alas, the Comm's "solution" was not to eliminate them as a cadet uniform, but rather to have us wear them more often, like almost every day for noon meal formation. So, not only were they a pain to wear, but now no one could sell it back to the tailor shop because they were all worn too much. Besides, the Wing looked like a bunch of Nazis walking around the terrazo. The first day we had to wear them to lunch, First Group was marching past the Chapel (with one or two tourists there on a 20 degree day). I was in 10th Sq. and Viking Nine was marching in front of us. When they did their eyes right in front of the chapel, the whole squadron started goose-stepping. We could barely stand, let alone march, we were laughing so hard. All of CS-9 took a massive hit, but it was one of those things that was worth it. - (e-mail, 1-30-1999)
- I was in CS-02 (1980) as a 2-degree and want to get down a strike against King Richard that some of the firsties did. It was Saturday night during the Dark Ages (early March I think) and 3 or 4 of the firsties had had enough beer that they were talking about going up to the Comm's house and spelling out LCWB in toilet paper on his lawn. Well, not having had as much beer as they, I pointed out that this was Colorado and their toilet paper would have been blown all the way to Kansas by morning. I suggested that they spell out LCWB using something that was sure to kill the grass. We settled on a salt water and bleach mixture (gotta make due with what you have). I drove them close to the cut off to the Comm's and Sup's, dropped them off, and then drove away. I returned an hour or so later and picked them up. Mission accomplished we swore to not say anything and let King Richard steam. Of course the grass didn't show until a couple of months later. The following fall I was telling this to a friend and he said, "That explains it!" I asked,"What?" He said,"The big flatbed truck of sod that went up to the Comm's house during first summer period." King Richard knew who got 'em...and yet he didn't. - (1/31/2004)
[edit] Bio
[edit] Background
General Richards was born in 1930, in San Diego and graduated from Hampton (Va.) High School in 1948. He earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1956 and a master's degree in communication from Shippensburg State College in 1973. He completed Squadron Officer School in 1963 and the Army War College in 1973.
[edit] Military assignments
His military career began with the Army infantry in 1948. He served as a platoon sergeant during the Korean War and was wounded twice. He received a commission as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1956. General Richards entered pilot training and earned his wings at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, in 1957. After combat crew training he was assigned as a B-47 co-pilot with the Strategic Air Command's 19th Bombardment Wing, Homestead Air Force Base, Fla., from December 1958 to February 1961.
He was upgraded to B-47E commander at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., before being transferred, in July 1961, to the 301st Bombardment Wing at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. General Richards received B-52 combat crew training at Castle Air Force Base, Calif., from May to August 1964. His next assignments were to the 20th Bombardment Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and later to Carswell Air Force Base, Texas. During this period he was an aircraft commander on the first B-52 combat missions over Vietnam.
After completing tactical combat crew training and airborne training in October 1966, General Richards was assigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, as a forward air controller with the 101st Airborne Infantry Division. He served a consecutive tour of duty with the 56th Air Commando (later Special Operations) Wing at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, with detached service at the U.S. Embassy in Laos. In addition, he commanded the Raven forward air controllers and flew 624 combat missions in O-1s, T-28s, U-10s and U-17s.
In January 1969 he returned to the United States and was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., where he served as an executive officer, squadron air officer commanding and group air officer commanding until May 1972. He then attended the Army War College.
The general transferred to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1973 as wing deputy commander, and then served as commander of the Basic Military Training School. In July 1975 he was assigned to the Directorate of Personnel Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as chief of the Motivation and Communications Branch and, later, became chief of the Leadership and Motivation Division.
From November 1976 to December 1977, General Richards served as commander of the Air Reserve Personnel Center at Denver. He then returned to the academy as vice commandant of cadets and became commandant of cadets in March 1978. General Richards assumed command of the Air Force Recruiting Service at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in February 1981. In March 1982 General Richards transferred to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., as commander of the Keesler Technical Training Center. From September 1983 to July 1984 he was assigned as vice commander, 8th Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. He then became commander of Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. He assumed his present position in November 1986. General Thomas C. Richards retired on September 30, 1989 as deputy commander in chief, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, West Germany.
[edit] Awards and decorations
The general is a command pilot with more than 4,700 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal and Air Medal with 17 oak leaf clusters. He is rated as a senior parachutist and earned the Combat Infantry Badge.
| Commandant of Cadets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Stanley C. Beck | Thomas C. Richards 1978-1981 | Succeeded by: Robert D. Beckel |
| Commandants |
|---|
| Stillman · Sullivan · Seawell · Strong · Seith · Olds · Galligan · Vandenberg · Beck · Richards · Beckel · Burshnick · Anderson · Westbrook · Redden · Bethurem · Gamble · Hopper · Lorenz · Welsh · Gilbert · Weida · Desjardins · Cox |
