BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN GENERAL LARRY O. SPENCER UNITED STATES AIR FORCE VICE CHIEF F STAFF : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

Larry O. Spencer
General Larry O. Spencer, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff

  





Larry O. Spencer is a United States Air Force General who served in many command, comptroller, and other leadership roles during the course of his career. He is currently the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, serving at The Pentagon. Spencer is one of the most senior African Americans serving on active duty in the United States Department of Defense.
Spencer was born in Washington, District of Columbia. He later moved with his family to Seat Pleasant in Prince George's County, Maryland, a suburb just outside Washington. Spencer attended Central High School in Prince George's County, where he participated in academic and varsity sports programs that helped him develop leadership and personal discipline. Later, he attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering technology in 1979. In 1980, Spencer was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force’s Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation. General Spencer is married to Ora M. Spencer. Together they have three children; Larry Oneil Spencer II, Derrick Lajuane Spencer, and Shannon Christine Spencer (who's married name is Shannon Christine Gorham).

As a second lieutenant, Spencer was assigned to the financial management career field. His first officer assignment in 1980 was as a cost analyst for the Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. During that three-year tour Spencer served as the chief of the headquarters cost analysis branch. In 1982, he was transferred to the Pentagon. He served on the Air Staff for four years, first as a cost analyst and then a budget officer.
In August 1986, Spencer was reassigned to Military Airlift Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He served three years there, first as a budget officer and the as an executive officer. He attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia from July 1989 until January 1990. After graduating from that military education program, he was selected to his first command. Spencer was commander of the 4th Comptroller Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina for three years. During his tenure as commander, the 4th Comptroller Squadron was selected as the best comptroller unit in the Air Force, first in 1991 and then again in 1992. This was the first time a comptroller squadron had received best in the Air Force recognition two years in a row.
In August 1993, Spencer was selected to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort Lesley J. McNair, receiving a Master of Science degree from the college in June 1994. This was followed by an assignment to the White House Military Office, where he was the first Air Force officer to serve as assistant chief of staff. Spencer was then selected for group command. He served as commander of the 72nd Support Group at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma from August 1996 to January 1998. He was promoted to colonel during that assignment. As a result of his successful tour as a group commander, Spencer was selected for a wing command. He took command of the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, serving there from February 1998 until July 1999. His next assignment was at Headquarters Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, where he served as the command’s comptroller from September 1999 until June 2003.