Interview with Gene Habiger, April 29, 2016

Collection: Richard B. Russell Library Oral History Documentary Collection

Dublin Core

Description

General Eugene “Gene” Habiger was born in California in 1939. He attended the University of California before enlisting in the Army. He then returned to school and graduated from the University of Georgia. In 1996 he became the Commander and Chief for the United States Strategic Command, and he remained in that position until he retired in 1998. After his retirement from the military, he became the Security Czar at the Department of Energy, and is involved in several organizations including the Nuclear Threat Initiative. In this interview he talks about nuclear weapons, his career in the US Air Force, and his involvement in US-Russia relations after the end of the Cold War. Habiger also discusses his contribution to the University of Georgia’s Department of Student Affairs.

General Eugene “Gene” Habiger was born in California in 1939. He attended the University of California for two years before joining the Army. He then returned to school and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia. Habiger then joined the Air Force because of his desire to fly. After finishing Officer Training School, he graduated as a Second Lieutenant. Habiger held a variety of staff and flying assignments. He had more than 5,000 flying hours and participated in 150 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Habiger rose through the ranks in the Air Force and became a four-star general who served as the Commander in Chief for the United States Strategic Command from 1996 to 1998. After his retirement from the military, he served as the Director of Security and Emergency Operations in the US Department of Energy from 1999 to 2001. Habiger became a distinguished fellow and policy advisor at the Center for International Trade and Security at the University of Georgia.

Date

2016-04-29

Identifier

RBRL175OHD-027

Coverage

Oral History Item Type Metadata

Location

Duration

127 minutes



Citation

Gene Habiger and Gary Bertsch, “Interview with Gene Habiger, April 29, 2016,” UGA Special Collections Libraries Oral Histories, accessed March 29, 2024, https://georgiaoralhistory.libs.uga.edu/RBRL175OHD/RBRL175OHD-027.

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