He was "cadet first captain" (regimental commander) in his last year at West Point, graduated 31st in a class of 261 in 1928, and was awarded the Knox Trophy.

After his transfer to the U.S. Air Corps in 1930, Lieutenant Briggs joined the 95th Pursuit Squadron at Rockwell Field near Coronado, California.

After serving next in several command and staff positions with the 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Michigan, and graduating from the Air Corps Tactical School in 1939,[3] in 1940 Captain Briggs reported to the U.S. Military Academy where he spent the next two years as a member of the faculty in the Department of Mathematics.

In April 1946, he became a member of the Central Intelligence Group in Washington, D.C. Moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in August 1947, he became chief of staff for the Fifteenth Air Force and, in April 1948, went to Spokane Air Force Base, Washington, to assume command of the 92nd and 98th Bombardment wings.

After promotion to brigadier general in December 1948, he moved to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida in March 1949 and became commander of the 306th and 307th Bombardment wings.

In May 1954, he was named assistant deputy chief of staff for operations and was given the additional duty of U.S. Air Force Member of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, Canada-United States.