Lt. Gen. Edward P. Barry Jr. is commander, Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. He is responsible for managing the research, design, development and acquisition of space launch, command and control, and satellite systems.
General Barry was born in Boston in 1938. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in 1961 and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California in 1966. The general completed Squadron Officer School in 1965, Armed Forces Staff College in 1970 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1978. He was a distinguished graduate of the first graduating class of the Defense Systems Management College in 1971.
Upon graduation from the academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned as a deputy missile combat crew commander with the 577th Strategic Missile Squadron, Strategic Air Command, Altus Air Force Base, Okla. After graduate school in August 1966, he was assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Organization, Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif., as project officer with the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, where he was responsible for integration of the orbiting laboratory's mission payload.
After completing the Armed Forces Staff College in August 1970, the general became program element monitor for the subsonic cruise armed decoy, within the Strategic Systems Division, Deputy for Development Plans, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
In July 1972 General Barry began his first tour in the Aeronautical Systems Division's B-1A System Program Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He initially served as a project manager in the B-1A Directorate of Projects, then as chief of the Program Evaluation Division in the Directorate of Program Control and, later, as chief of the B-1A Los Angeles Directorate of Program Control. The general returned to Air Force Systems Command headquarters in June 1975 as chief of the B-1A Division, Directorate of the Deputy for Systems, Aeronautical Systems Division.
He returned to the Space and Missile Systems Organization in July 1978 as assistant deputy for space navigation systems, responsible for management of Air Force resources in the Department of Defense global positioning space navigation systems. In July 1979 he became deputy for defense support systems and program director of the Defense Support Program. The general was reassigned to Air Force Systems Command headquarters in February 1983 as assistant deputy chief of staff for systems.
In March 1985 General Barry was assigned to Space Division, Air Force Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Station, as deputy commander for launch and control systems. He was assigned as vice commander of the Ballistic Missile Office, Norton Air Force Base, Calif., in September 1985 and, in September 1986, became the unit's commander. In June 1989 he became vice commander of Aeronautical Systems Division. The general was assigned as program executive officer for tactical and airlift programs, Air Force Program Office Executive Office Organization, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in February 1990. In that capacity, he was responsible for the program planning and execution of the advanced tactical fighter, F-15, F-16, T-1A and C-17. In July 1991 he became commander of Space Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base. He assumed his current position in July 1992.
The general's military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and Combat Readiness Medal. He also wears the Master Missile Operator and Master Space Operations badges.
He was promoted to lieutenant general June 1, 1991, with same date of rank.
(Current as of July 1992)