Air Force General To Speak With ROTC Cadets April 26

Lt. Gen. Joseph H. Wehrle Jr., assistant vice chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force (essentially third in the Air Force chain of command), will serve as the keynote speaker at Baylor University's ROTC military ball at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Lee Lockwood Library.
As assistant vice chief of staff, Wehrle is responsible for Air Staff organization and administration, serves as deputy chairman of the Air Force Council and is the Air Force accreditation official for the Corps of Air Attachés. He was commissioned a second lieutenant through the U.S. Military Academy in 1970. During his career, he has commanded the 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 323rd Flying Training Wing, 17th Training Wing and 3rd Air Force.
While commanding 3rd Air Force, he deployed to southern Africa and served as commander of Joint Task Force Atlas Response, the largest U.S. humanitarian operation on the African continent in a decade. The task force delivered more than 2 million pounds of critically needed relief supplies to flood-ravaged Mozambique.
Wehrle was promoted to Lieutenant General in 2000 and assumed his present post in 2002. He is a master navigator with 120 combat missions and more than 1,800 flying hours, primarily in the F-4 and F-15E aircraft. His many awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
Wehrle's nephew is a member of the Baylor ROTC program through a cross-town agreement with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he is a student.