Charles Albert Horner (born October 19, 1936) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and attended the University of Iowa, as part of the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. On June 13, 1958, Horner was commissioned into the Air Force Reserve. During the Vietnam War, he flew in combat as a Wild Weasel pilot and received the Silver Star. During Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, he commanded the American Air Force, as well as those of the American allies. During the Desert Shield phase of the conflict, Horner briefly served as Commander-in-Chief — Forward of United States Central Command; while General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. was still in the United States. He currently serves on the board of directors for the United States Institute of Peace. Military career Horner, an Iowa native, entered the United States Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He was commissioned in the Air Force Reserve on June 13, 1958, just before his graduation from the University of Iowa and was awarded pilot wings in November 1959 and was resworn with a regular Air Force commission in 1962. He has commanded a tactical training wing, a fighter wing, two air divisions and a numbered Air Force. While Commander of 9th Air Force, he also commanded United States Central Command Air Forces, in command of all United States and allied air assets during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Horner is a command pilot with more than 5,300 flying hours in a variety of fighter aircraft. During the Vietnam War he flew 41 combat missions over North Vietnam in the F-105 Thunderchief during a tour. He later flew more than 70 combat missions as an F-105 Wild Weasel pilot, deliberately drawing anti-aircraft fire to identify and destroy North Vietnamese defenses. After primary flight training at Lackland AFB, jet training at Laredo AFB, gunnery training at Williams AFB, top-off training and F-100D Super Sabre transition training at Nellis AFB, Horner's first operational assignment was in October 1960 with the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath. In 1963, Horner was reassigned to the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing and Seymour Johnson AFB, where he flew the F-105. From April through August 1965, Horner was assigned as an F-105 pilot at Korat AB in Thailand, flying missions over North Vietnam. From August 1965 to 1967, Horner returned