LTG Richard Melbourne Scofield

Lieutenant General Richard M. Scofield is commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He leads the Air Force's center of excellence for research, development and acquisition of aircraft and aeronautical equipment for the Air Force. ASC manages more than 99 programs, executes an annual budget of more than $9.5 billion (27 percent of all funds in AFMC), and employs more than 10,500 people at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The general was born in Hartford, Conn., and graduated from Technical High School, Springfield, Mass., in 1957. He was commissioned following graduation from the University of Massachusetts, and spent the first 12 years in the Air Force as an operational pilot. Since 1973, he has served numerous acquisition management positions including program director for both the F-117 Stealth fighter and the B-2 advanced technology bomber. Before becoming the ASC commander, he served as a program executive officer, then as a special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, the Pentagon. He is the Air Force's Gray Eagle, the aviator with the longest rated service still on active duty.

EDUCATION
1961 Bachelor of arts degree in business administration, University of Massachusetts
1970 Master's degree in business administration, University of Oklahoma
1973 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
1973 Master of science degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1976 Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1961 - June 1962, student pilot, 3501st Flying Training Squadron, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. June 1962 - June 1964, C-130 pilot, 6550th Operations Group Air Force Missile Test Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
3. June 1964 - June 1965, C-123 pilot, 311th Air Command Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam
4. June 1965 - May 1967, C-130 pilot, 6594th Test Group, Space Systems Division, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
5. May 1969 - June 1970, graduate student, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.
6. June 1970 - January 1973, C-130 pilot, OL-1 Air Force Satellite Control Facility, Space and Missile Systems Organization, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
7. January 1973 - July 1973, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
8. July 1973 - June 1976, chief, program evaluation division, E-3A System Program Office, electronic systems division, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
9. June 1976 - December 1976, student, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
10. December 1976 - July 1981, chief, tactical systems division, executive officer to deputy chief of staff, systems, and assistant deputy chief of staff, systems, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
11. July 1981 - July 1991, F-117 program director, B-2 ATB system program director, Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
12. July 1991 - January 1994, program executive director for strategic systems program, program executive officer for bomber, missiles and trainers, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. January 1994 - October 1994, special assistant to assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. October 1994 - present, commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,800
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-33, C-131, C-130, C-123, T-39 and C-21

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1970 Beta Gamma Sigma, University of Oklahoma
1990 Ira Eaker Fellow, Irongate Chapter, Air Force Association
1995 Air Force Gray Eagle Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb 2, 1961
First Lieutenant Nov 19, 1962
Captain Nov 29, 1965
Major Nov 1, 1971
Lieutenant Colonel Aug 1, 1977
Colonel Jun 1, 1981
Brigadier General May 1, 1987
Major General Oct 1, 1989 Lieutenant General Oct 14, 1994

Source: Official US Air Force Biography, (Current as of January 1995). LtGen. Richard M. Scofield.

Award Citations

Distinguished Flying Cross

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING Vietnam War

Service: Air Force

Battalion: 311th Air Commando Squadron

Division: DaNang Air Base, South Vietnam

Captain Richard M. Scofield, United States Air Force, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as a C-130 Pilot of the 311th Air Commando Squadron, DaNang Air Base, South Vietnam, in action against the enemy over Southeast Asia from 1964 to 1965.