EDWARD C.
ALDRIDGE JR.
Edward
C. Aldridge was the 16th secretary of the
Air Force.
He was born in Houston in 1938 and spent his
youth in Shreveport, La. He received a
bachelor of science degree in aeronautical
engineering from Texas Agricultural and
Mechanical University in 1960, and a master
of science degree, also in aeronautical
engineering, from the Georgia Institute of
Technology in 1962.
Prior to joining
the Department of Defense in 1967, Aldridge
held various staff and management positions
with the Douglas Aircraft Co., Missile and
Space Division, in Santa Monica, Calif., and
in Washington, D.C. |
In 1967 he joined the
staff of the assistant secretary of defense for
systems analysis as an operations research
analyst and then served as director of the
Strategic Defensive Division until July 1972. He
also served as an adviser to the Strategic Arms
Limitation Talks in Helsinki and Vienna.
He re-entered private industry in 1972 as a
senior manager with LTV Aerospace Corp. in
Dallas for a year until he was named senior
management associate in the Office of Management
and Budget, Executive Office of the President,
Washington, D.C.
Returning to the Department of Defense in
February 1974, Aldridge served as deputy
assistant secretary of defense for strategic
programs until March 1976. He was then selected
to be the director of planning and evaluation, a
principal adviser to the secretary of defense in
the planning and program evaluation of U.S.
military forces and support structure.
He was named vice president, National Policy and
Strategic Systems Group for the Systems Planning
Corp., Arlington, Va., in March 1977. Aldridge
was responsible for the corporation's study and
analysis activities in the areas of strategic
and conventional forces and long-range strategic
planning.
In August 1981 he became under secretary of the
Air Force with additional responsibility for
providing overall direction, guidance and
supervision for Air Force space programs,
including launch and on-orbit operations, and
planning for future space capabilities. Prior to
the space shuttle Challenger accident in January
1986, Aldridge was in astronaut training in
preparation for his participation as a payload
specialist on the first shuttle mission from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. He assumed his
present duties in June 1986.
His work in various assignments has earned him
numerous awards. Among these are the Secretary
of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award,
Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian
Service Award and Department of Defense
Distinguished Public Service Award. He has been
named a distinguished college of engineering
alumnus from Texas A&M University and was the
1985 recipient of the American Astronautical
Society Military Astronautics Award.
(Current as of January 1987)
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