Nathan Farragut Twining (/ˈtwaɪnɪŋ/ TWY-ning; October 11, 1897 – March 29, 1982) was a United States Air Force general.

Twining was a distinguished "mustang" officer, rising from private to four-star general and appointment to the highest post in the United States Armed Forces in the course of his 45-year career.

[7] After serving in the Army infantry for three years, including post-war occupation duty in Germany, in 1922 Twining was reassigned to the Air Service.

Over the next 15 years he flew fighter aircraft in Texas, Louisiana, and Hawaii, while also attending the Air Corps Tactical School and the Command and General Staff College.

When General Hoyt Vandenberg retired in mid-1953, Twining was selected as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force; during his tenure, massive retaliation based on airpower became the national strategy.

[15] The interservice rivalry had emerged following the end of World War II and the establishment of National Security Act of 1947.

[14] In 1956, Twining was chosen by Eisenhower to head a delegation of senior officers to visit Soviet Union, the first such exchange since World War II.

He was shown by Zhukov at an air force base with Badger and Bison bombers flying overhead.

[14] The policy was to deter the threat from the Soviet and their Eastern Bloc allies and eventually preventing them to win the Arms race.

[17][18]During his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Twining also played central role in working out a new procedures to coordinate a nuclear strike plans in order to prevent the first-strike and strength the United States deterrence against the United States enemy, especially those who own Nuclear Weapons.

However, due to his deteriorating health condition following major surgery, Twining chose to take early retirement from active-duty on September 30, 1960.

[17] Following his retirement from active duty Twining worked as vice chairman for the publishing firm Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

[20] General Nathan F. Twining died on March 29, 1982, at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.