Maj. Gen. James B. Armor Jr. is Director, National Security Space Office, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for integrating and coordinating defense and intelligence space activities to achieve unity of effort. He also advises the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Office of the Director, National Intelligence, on matters affecting national security space capabilities.
General Armor was commissioned in 1973 through the ROTC program at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. He has served as a combat crew missile launch officer, a laser signal intelligence analyst, and a satellite launch system integrator. In addition, he trained as a Space Shuttle payload specialist, and was first to study information warfare while a research fellow at the National War College. 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 special access programs. General Armor has held several program management positions, including Program Director of the Global Positioning System at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The general also served as Vice Commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins AFB, Ga. Prior to assuming his current position, he was Director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations at the National Reconnaissance Office.
EDUCATION
1973 Bachelor of Science degrees 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 AFB, 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 AFB, Kan.
2. August 1976 - December 1977, graduate student, School of Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. December 1977 - June 1981, Chief, Laser Signal Intelligence Branch, Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, 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, 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 AFB, Calif.
10. August 1994 - July 1996, Program Director, Defense Dissemination Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
11. July 1996 - October 1999, System Program Director, NAVSTAR Global Positioning System Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
12. October 1999 - June 2001, Vice Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. June 2001 - April 2005, Director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Washington, D.C.
14. April 2005 - present, Director, National Security Space Office, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
BADGES
Master Space Badge
Master Acquisition Badge
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
(Current as of October 2007)