Wings of Diplomacy: My Lifetime of Service As an Air Force Attaché

Colonel Lewis S Wallace Jr. was born in Washington, DC. Numerous positions in intelligence,
diplomacy, and academia distinguish his military career. For example, he was the first African
American valedictorian of his class of 50 students, enrolled in the Defense Language Institute's
East European Basic Russian Language Program at Syracuse University. He was also a
distinguished graduate of the Intermediate Russian Language course at Syracuse. He graduated
from Syracuse University summa cum laude in 1972 with a B.A. in Soviet Studies and was
inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Colonel Wallace was also a distinguished graduate of
the Air Force Institute of Technology's Civilian Institutions Graduate School Program with an
M.A. in Slavic Languages and Literature and Foreign Language Education. After completing his
graduate degree at Ohio State University in 1977, he went to Russia as an exchange student. He
received a Certificate in Foreign Language Education from the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. In
1978, Colonel Wallace was assigned to the USAF Academy as the first African American
Instructor, Course Director, and Assistant Professor of Russian. Next, the Air Force selected him
to serve as one of sixteen USAF National Defense Fellows in the nation. He served as a
postgraduate fellow at Boston University's Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and
Policy. While at Boston University, he lectured on Russian Military Affairs at Harvard
University, the Naval War College, the Air War College, the National Defense University, and
the University of Miami. In 1988, Colonel Wallace was confirmed by the Department of Defense
and approved by President Ronald Regan to serve as the first African American in US history to
hold the position of an Assistant Air Attaché at the American Embassy in Moscow. Colonel
Wallace's additional assignments include Chief of the Intelligence Branch, Headquarters Tactical
Air Command Office of the Inspector General, Chief of the Strategy and Policy Division at the
US Delegation to NATO's Military Committee, Deputy to the President of the National
Intelligence University (formerly the Joint Military Intelligence College), and Professor of
Aerospace Studies, and Commander of the Air Force ROTC Program at Howard University.
Colonel Wallace is a graduate of the USAF Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff
College, the National Defense Fellows Program, National Defense University's National
Security Management Program, the USAF Inspector General's School, and the Executive
Program for General Officers of the Russian Federation and the United States at Harvard
University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. His military decorations include the
Defense Superior Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Defense
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Combat Readiness Medal, the
Humanitarian Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters,
and six Air Medals. He is also the recipient of Officer Aircrew Member Wings, the Combat Crew
Badge, the Space Operations Badge, the Master Intelligence Officer Badge, the Joint Staff
Badge, and the Academic Instructor Badge. He has over 3,000 flying hours.