Brig. Paul L. Roberson USAF Gen. Retired

Loving husband and adored father, Brig. Gen. Paul L. Roberson, USAF, Retired, age 64, of San Antonio, entered into eternal rest on Thursday, September 25, 2003. General Roberson was born in 1939, in Oakland, Calif., and graduated from high school in Mountain View, Calif., in 1957. He earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology from St. Mary's College, Calif. in 1961 and a master's degree in management from The George Washington University in 1978.

His first assignment was to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, as a training staff officer. During this tour of duty, he directed efforts to develop self-paced technical training materials for various training courses at Sheppard AFB. In 1963 General Roberson was assigned to the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Training Development, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, where he oversaw development of programmed instruction materials throughout Air Training Command

The general was assigned to the newly formed Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, D.C., and participated in the opening and management of Job Corps training centers throughout the United States from 1964 to 1967. After his assignment to the Job Corps, he served a tour in Vietnam as a training adviser to the Vietnamese Air Force. In 1969 he returned to the United States and was assigned to the Air Force Manpower and Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base.

While assigned to the center, General Roberson worked as a resource manager in officer assignments and as a planner in the Officer Assignment Policy Division. In 1975 General Roberson returned to Air Force Headquarters in the Directorate of Personnel Plans. He was a member of a special study group created by the chief of staff to improve people management and the quality of life. He also served in the Directorate of Human Resources Development and was active in developing new programs in leadership and management training and social actions.

From 1981 to 1983 the general served as base commander at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill. He then transferred to Randolph Air Force Base as deputy chief of staff for personnel where he was promoted to Brigadier General. In 1986 he became commander of the Goodfellow Technical Training Center, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. In 1987 he became Vice Commander, Electronic Security Command, now known as the Air Intelligence Agency, with headquarters at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. After a 28-year career, he retired from the Air Force in June 1990.

From 1990 to 1994, he served as vice president, human resources and marketing, for Security Services Federal Credit Union in San Antonio. General Roberson served as the executive director of Greater Kelly Development Corporation GKDC, later the Greater Kelly Development Authority GKDA from 1996 to 2002. Prior to his selection as executive director of the GKDC, he coordinated and staffed the activities of the Initial Base Adjustment Strategy Committee IBASC, a 167 member citizens committee that developed the Strategic Plan for the Redevelopment of Kelly AFB. As the former project director of the Mayor's BRAC Base Closure and Realignment Commission, '95 Task Force, he was responsible for all military activities of The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. In July 2003, General Roberson was honored at a formal building dedication at Kelly USA.

'Paul Roberson has been a major contributor to Kelly USA's success, and this dedication is just a small token of our appreciation,' said Arthur Emerson, chairman of the GKDA Board. 'Roberson's tireless commitment to the redevelopment of Kelly USA and the San Antonio community as a whole is truly commendable.' Roberson played an instrumental part in creating a vision for Kelly USA as a world-class industrial park following the closure of Kelly Air Force Base. Part of the vision included the construction of a new office building at 145 Duncan Drive.

The building is known as The Paul L. Roberson Building. He is survived by his wife, Mary L. Roberson; daughters, Jeanne and her husband, CEC SCW Christopher Levesque, USN of Wichita Falls and Lt Col Leslie Roberson, USAF and her husband Col Dale Jones, USAF Ret. of Washington D.C.; son, David Roberson of San Antonio; grandsons, Christopher and Bradley Levesque of Wichita Falls; mother, Mary F. Roberson; brother, Norman Roberson; and sister, Theresa Kain, all of Orinda, CA.