""General O'Malley was born on February 25, 1932 at Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and graduted from West Point in 1953 with B.S. degree in Military Science and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He completed Air Command and Staff College and concurrently earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He also graduated from the Naval War College. After receiving his pilot's wings in August 1954 at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas, he received jet training in F-86 Sabrejets at Perrin Air Force Base, Texas. In Jnauary 1955, he was assigned as an Air Training Officer at the United States Air Force Academy, then located at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado. He attended B-47 transition training at McConnell AFB, Kansas, from December 1957 to February 1958, and was then assigned as a B-47 pilot with the 529th Bombardment Squadron at Plattsburgh AFB, New York. From June 1960 to August 1964, he served as an Aide to General Hunter Harris, 8th Air Force Commander at Westover AFB, Massachusetts, and then Vice Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. After graduating with distinction from the Air Command and Staff College in June 1965, he served as a pilot with the 9th Strategic Recommaissance Wing, Beale AFB, California. While there he flew the first operational mission of the SR-71 (Blackbird) the free world's most advanced strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
In June 1969 he entered the Naval War College. From 1970 to April 1971, he was Director of Operations for the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and flew RF-4Cs. Then he left for Southeast Asia and served as Vice Commander and later Commander of the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. From September 1971 he was assigned as Vice Commander of the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand. He flew 116 combat missions in F-4Ds and RF-4Cs. He comanded the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB from May 1972 to May 1973. Then was named commander of the 22nd Bombardment Wing, March AFB, California and later served as Chief of Staff for the 15th Air Force, also located at March AFB. He was then assigned as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans at the Strategic Air Command Headquarters, July 1974 to June 1975, when he was named Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Pland. In January 1977, he moved to Washington, D.C. for duty as Vice Director of Operations, Operations Directorate, Joint Staff. He served as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Plans and Readiness at Headquarters, USAF, from May 1979 to August 1980. He then became Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations.
Appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force in June 1982 and in October 1983 was named Commander in Chief of the Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii. In September 1984 he assumed duties as Commander of the Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia, the position that he was filling at the time of his death.
He was a Command Pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. His decorations and medals included the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, the Presidential Unit Citation Emblem with two oak leaf clusters, Repblic of Korea Order of National Security Merit, Republic of Vietnam Air Service Medal (Honor Class) and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm.
He was promoted to full General, June 1, 1982. " (from (
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This monument sits in Cadet Plaza at the US Air Force Academy which is easily visited by the public.