Frank D. Lackland was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, on September 13, 1884. He attended the public schools of Virginia and Washington, D.C., then studied law. He joined the District of Columbia National Guard and was commissioned a second lieutenant on July 12, 1905; was promoted to first lieutenant on March 14, 1906; and to captain on February 10, 1910. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry in the Regular Army on February 11, 1911.
PROMOTIONS
He was promoted to first lieutenant on July 1, 1916; to captain on May 15, 1917; and to major (temporary) on October 23, 1917. He reverted to his permanent rank of captain on February 28, 1920, and was promoted to major (permanent) on July 1, 1920; to lieutenant colonel (temporary) on March 2, 1935; to lieutenant colonel (permanent) on August 1, 1935; to colonel (temporary) on August 26, 1936; to colonel (permanent) on December 15, 1939; to brigadier General (temporary) on December 21, 1939.
SERVICE
He was assigned to the 11th Infantry and served at San Antonio, Texas, until July 1911, when he was transferred to Fort D. A. Russell (now Francis E. Warren), Wyoming, where he served until February 1913, when he accompanied the 11th Infantry to Texas City, Texas. In August 1914, he joined the 13th Infantry at Fort William McKinley, Philippine Islands, serving at that post and at Camp McGrath until June 1917. He then served with the 22nd Infantry at Fort Jay, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey, until November 1917.
He was detailed to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps and assigned to duty at Kelly Field, Texas, where he served as Executive Officer until April 1918. He was then transferred to Selfridge Field, Michigan, where he served at the School of Aerial Gunnery until July 1919, when he was ordered to Langley Field, Virginia, at which post he served in various capacities until September of the same year.
Transferred to Ellington Field, Houston, Texas, he commanded the 166th Aerial Squadron in September 1919, when he was injured in an airplane accident.
In December 1919, he assumed command of the Aviation Repair Depot at Montgomery, Alabama, until October 1920, when was detailed as a student at the Air Service Engineering School, McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio. Upon graduation from that school in September 1921, he became Air Officer of the Eighth Corps Area with headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was then detailed to command the San Antonio Air Depot, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he served from September 1922 to June 1926, when he took command of the 3d Attack Group at Fort Crockett, Texas. Two years later he was assigned as a student at the Air Corps Tactical School, Langley Field, Virginia, and following his graduation in June 1929, was assigned to duty for two years as a student officer in the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Upon being graduated from the Command and General Staff School in 1931, he assumed command of the 12th Observation Group at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, which organization was subsequently moved to Brooks Field, Texas. He commanded the 12th Observation Group and the post of Brooks Field until June 1934, when he was assigned to duty in the Plans Division in the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps, Washington, D.C.
In March 1935, he was assigned to duty as Chief of Field Service Section at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, in which capacity he served until March 1938, when he was ordered to Kelly Field, Texas, as Commandant of the Air Corps Advanced Flying School. In December 1939, he became Commanding General of the 1st Wing at March Field, California. He was retired on June 30, 1942, and on April 27, 1943, he died at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.
He is rated as a Command Pilot, Combat Observer, and Technical Observer.
The Indoctrination Division, Air Training Command, in San Antonio, Texas was named Lackland AFB in his honor on July 4, 1947.
(Current as of January 2019)