Armor Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male. Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: DoD Group 2 - 1982. Inactive Entered space service: 1 September 1982. Left space service: 1985.

Official USAF Biography

BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES B. ARMOR JR.

Brig. Gen James B. Armor Jr. is director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Washington, D.C. He leads a multiservice and multiagency team that acquires, deploys and operates multibillion-dollar space and Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence systems to satisfy military, intelligence community and civil needs. The organization develops advanced SIGINT systems used as force multipliers by warfighters, and national and Department of Defense policymakers, and provides direct satellite reconnaissance and intelligence products to unified commanders in chief and deployed warfighters.

The general was commissioned in 1973 through the ROTC program at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. He served as a missile launch officer with the 381st Strategic Missile Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and laser signals intelligence analyst with the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He was a manned space flight engineer for the NRO at Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif., and also trained as a shuttle payload specialist. He was first to study information warfare while a National War College research fellow at the National Defense University. At Headquarters U.S. Air Force he served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, and in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition where he worked various key access programs. He also served in several program management positions, including directing responsibilities for the navigational, strategic, tactical and relay Global Positioning System at the Space and Missile Systems Center. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the vice commander of Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

EDUCATION:

1973 Bachelor of science in psychology and electrical engineering, with honors, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.
1976 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1977 Distinguished graduate, master of science degree in electrical engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
1981 Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
1983 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1985 National Security Management Course, by correspondence
1990 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. September 1973 - August 1976, senior instructor, deputy missile combat crew commander, 381st Strategic Missile Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.
2. August 1976 - December 1977, graduate student, School of Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
3. December 1977 - June 1981, chief, Laser Signal Intelligence Branch, Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
4. June 1981 - December 1981, student, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
5. December 1981 - November 1986, assistant deputy for mission integration, later, manned space flight engineer and astronaut select, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif.
6. November 1986 - July 1989, deputy division chief for special technology operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. July 1989 - July 1990, senior research fellow, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
8. August 1990 - August 1992, deputy chief, Space Communications Division, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, later, director of space and Strategic Defense Initiative programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. August 1992 - August 1994, deputy program director, Advanced Systems Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
10. August 1994 - July 1996, program director, Defense Dissemination Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
11. July 1996 - October 1999, system program director, NAVSTAR Global Positioning System Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
12. October 1999 - June 2001, vice commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
13. June 2001 - present, director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Washington, D.C.

BADGES:
Missileman Badge
Master Space Badge
Senior Acquisition Badge

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant Jun 6, 1973
First Lieutenant Sep 26, 1975
Captain Sep 26, 1977
Major Nov 1, 1982
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1987
Colonel Oct 1, 1992
Brigadier General Jan 1, 2000

(Current as of October 2001)

1 September 1982 - DoD Astronaut Training Group 2 selected.. The group was selected to provide shuttle manned spaceflight engineers to operate military payloads.. Qualifications: USAF officers with bachelor's degree in science or engineering; four years experience in flying or space-related activities. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. 14 were selected from 63 candidates.