Brigadier General Duane Harold “Leif” Erickson (US Air Force-Ret)

Duane H. Erickson was born in 1932, in Farragut, Iowa, to parents Carl and Neoma Erickson.  After graduation from Farragut High School in 1949, he attended the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY and upon graduation in 1954, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

Immediately after graduation from the academy, he began student pilot training at Bainbridge Air Force Base, Ga. He completed basic flying training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, in August 1955 and remained there as an instructor pilot.

He completed Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 1958 and from October 1958 to January 1961, served as a protocol officer with the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in Los Angeles. He then transferred to Hanscom Field, Mass., as aide-de-camp to the commander of the Electronic Systems Division until February 1965.
He served as flight commander with the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron at Naha Air Base, Okinawa, until August 1966 when he entered the Armed Forces Staff College.

Following graduation, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., from January 1967 to August 1969, as an action officer. In the latter part of this tour of duty, he became chief of the Airlift Forces Branch, Deputy Directorate of Forces Development, Directorate of Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations.

After completing the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1970, he returned to Naha Air Base as deputy commander for operations for the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing until September 1971 when he became vice commander and later commander of the 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.

From June 1972 to June 1974, he commanded the 1100th Air Base Wing at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. He then returned to Air Force headquarters as deputy director of doctrine, concepts and objectives in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. During this tour of duty, he spent six months temporary duty at North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, where he served as chairman of the Tradeoff Study on Air Defense Mix.

In 1975 he completed the program for executives at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

In September 1976 he was named vice commander of the 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He became commander of the 438th Military Airlift Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., in February 1978 and in February 1979, took command of the U.S. Air Force Airlift Center and the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

He was promoted to Brigadier General Feb. 4, 1980, with date of rank Jan. 30, 1980.

In March 1980, Brigadier General Erickson transferred to the Azores as commander of U.S. Forces, Azores, and the 1605th Military Airlift Support Wing at Lajes Field.  In June 1982, he was appointed Director of the International Staff, Inter-American Defense Board, Washington, D.C.
 

He was a command pilot with more than 8,000 flying hours and flew more than 242 combat hours on 85 missions. His military decorations and awards include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal; the Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters; Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster;  Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters; the Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Honor Medal 1st Class; Republic of Vietnam Social Welfare Medal 1st Class; and the Portuguese Military Merit Medal 1st Class.

Brigadier General Duane Harold "Leif" Erickson, USAF-Ret., age 84 of Prescott, Arizona, died on Monday, February 22, 2016.  At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Maureen; children Colonel Stephen (Kelly) Erickson, USAF of Washington, DC and Craig (Terri) Erickson of Tipton, Oklahoma; grandchildren Sophie, Jack, Alex, and Allen; great-grandson Case; sister Theran Ensign; and numerous nieces and nephews