LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAVID J. TEAL

Lieutenant General David J. Teal is vice commander, Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

General Teal was born in 1939, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and graduated from Corvallis (Ore.) High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree in military science from the U.S. Military Academy in 1961 and a master of science degree in astronautical engineering through the Air Force Institute of Technology program in 1965. He completed Squadron Officer School in 1968, Air Command and Staff College in 1970, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1977.

Upon graduation from West Point, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He then attended combat engineer training at Fort Belvoir, Va., and airborne and ranger training at Fort Benning, Ga. From April 1962 to April 1963 he served with the 13th Engineer Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, South Korea, first as a platoon leader, then as assistant division engineer, and later as company commander. In August 1965 the general was assigned to the 23rd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Division, Hanau, West Germany, and served first as company commander and then as battalion operations officer.

The general transferred from Army to Air Force in July 1967. His first Air Force assignment was with the deputy for development planning, Space and Missile Systems Organization, Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif. He conducted studies on advanced satellite propulsion systems, leading to advanced development programs with decomposed ammonia radioisotope and electrical thrusters. He participated in the President's Space Task Group studies, which initiated the space shuttle program.

In August 1970 General Teal was assigned to Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in the F-15/Joint Engine Project Office as a configuration management officer. He became chief of the Technical Publications Branch there in April 1972. From May 1974 to May 1976 he served as project manager for automatic test and support equipment in the Directorate of Projects, Office of the Deputy for F-15/Joint Engine Project.

After graduating from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in June 1977, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as deputy chief of the Avionics Division. In April 1978 he became chief of the division, which a year later was expanded to include both avionics and armament development and production.

During General Teal's tour of duty at Air Force headquarters, his division was responsible for such development programs as Maverick, low-level laser-guided bomb, GBU-15, AIM-7, AIM-9, HARM, AMRAAM, SEEK TALK, HAVE QUICK, LANTIRN, combat identification, Precision Location Strike System, and wide area anti-armor munition.

In June 1981 General Teal returned to Aeronautical Systems Division as deputy director of the F-16 Multinational Fighter Aircraft Program. He became the deputy for reconnaissance, strike and electronic warfare systems in July 1983. He was responsible for managing the acquisition of all new reconnaissance, strike and electronic warfare systems and subsystems required to support the Air Force mission, including the TR-1, EF-111, LANTIRN and Wild Weasel. In July 1985 the general was assigned as deputy commander for tactical systems at Wright-Patterson. Programs in this deputate included the F-15, Maverick anti-tank missile, Tacit Rainbow, A-7 upgrade, air defense fighter competition, A-10, F-5, People's Republic of China fighter upgrade and the advanced tactical fighter.

General Teal became senior military assistant to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, Washington, D.C., in January 1987. During this tour of duty, he assisted the undersecretary in defining plans and resources required to manage more than 600,000 people and an annual budget of more than $160 billion. In October 1987 General Teal became deputy chief of staff for product assurance and acquisition logistics, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base. He was assigned as deputy chief of staff for systems in July 1988. In this capacity he was responsible for staff oversight of more than 300 programs with annual budgets of more than $30 billion. The Defense Management Review changed the role of Air Force Systems Command headquarters significantly, resulting in disestablishment of the deputy chief of staff for systems in December 1989 and creation of the deputy chief of staff for requirements to support operational major commands. He assumed his present duties in March 1990.

The general's military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and Army Commendation Medal. He has been awarded the parachutist and missile badges.

He was promoted to lieutenant general April 1, 1990, with same date of rank.

General Teal's hometown is Corvallis, Ore.

(Current as of May 1990)