Charles A. Gabriel, 75; 4-Star General, Reagan’s Air Force Chief of Staff

Charles A. Gabriel, 75, a four-star general and fighter pilot who served as Air Force chief of staff under President Reagan, died Sept. 4 at an assisted-living facility in Arlington, Va. He had Alzheimer’s disease.

Gabriel flew hundreds of combat missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars, and held key Air Force administrative positions around the world before being named the top Air Force official in 1982. He held the position until 1986, when he retired from active duty.

Gabriel was the first fighter pilot chosen as Air Force chief of staff. Many previous chiefs of staff had represented the ranks of bomber pilots and those involved in strategic nuclear deterrence. Gabriel, whose tenure included the 1986 raid on Libya, was said to have greater knowledge of the military’s tactical air power.

A native of Lincolnton, N.C., Gabriel graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1950. He also was a graduate of the command and staff course at the Naval War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. In 1963, he received a master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University.