General Lester L. Lyles
Gen. Lester L. Lyles is vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air
Force, Washington, D.C. As vice chief, and subject to the authority,
direction and control of the chief of staff and secretary of the Air
Force, he presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Requirements Oversight Council.
The general entered the Air Force in 1968 as a distinguished graduate
of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has served
in a variety of assignments, including program element monitor of
the Short-Range Attack Missile, Headquarters U.S. Air Force in 1974,
and special assistant and aide-de-camp to the commander of Air Force
Systems Command in 1978.
In 1981 he was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as Avionics
Division chief in the F-16 Systems Program Office. He has served as
director of tactical aircraft systems at AFSC headquarters and as
director of the Medium-Launch Vehicles Program and space-launch systems
offices. He became AFSC headquarters' assistant deputy chief of staff
for requirements in 1989, and deputy chief of staff for requirements
in 1990. In 1992 he became vice commander of Ogden Air Logistics Center,
Hill Air Force Base. He served as commander of the center from 1993
until 1994, then was assigned to command the Space and Missile Systems
Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base until 1996. The general became
the director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in 1996.
He assumed his current position in May 1999.
EDUCATION:
| 1968 |
Bachelor of science
degree in mechanical engineering, Howard University, Washington,
D.C. |
| 1969 |
Master of science
degree in mechanical and nuclear engineering, Air Force Institute
of Technology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
|
| 1980 |
Defense Systems
Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va. |
| 1981 |
Armed Forces Staff
College, Norfolk, Va. |
| 1985 |
National War College,
Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. |
| 1991 |
National and International
Security Management Course, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. |
ASSIGNMENTS:
| February 1969
- November 1971, propulsion and structures engineer, Standard,
Space-Launch Vehicles Program Office, Los Angeles Air Force
Station, Calif. |
| November 1971
- July 1974, propulsion engineer, Headquarters Aeronautical
Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio |
| July 1974 - April
1975, program element monitor for the Short-Range Attack Missile,
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
|
| April 1975 -
March 1978, executive officer to the deputy chief of staff for
research and development, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon,
Washington, D.C. |
| March 1978 - January
1980, special assistant and aide-de-camp to the commander, Headquarters
Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md. |
| January 1980 -
June 1980, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir,
Va. |
| June 1980 - January
1981, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. |
| January 1981 -
June 1981, chief, Avionics Division, F-16 Systems Program Office,
Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson
Air Force Base, Ohio |
| June 1981 - July
1984, deputy director for special and advanced projects, F-16
Systems Program Office, Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Division,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio |
| August 1984 -
June 1985, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington,
D.C. |
| June 1985 - June
1987, director, tactical aircraft systems, Headquarters Air
Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md. |
| June 1987 - April
1988, director, Medium-Launch Vehicles Program Office, Headquarters
Space Systems Division, Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif.
|
| April 1988 - August
1989, assistant deputy commander for launch systems, Headquarters
Space Systems Division, Los Angeles Air Force Station, Calif.
|
| August 1989 -
July 1992, assistant deputy chief of staff for requirements,
then deputy chief of staff for requirements, Headquarters Air
Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Md. |
| July 1992 - November
1994, vice commander, then commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center,
Hill Air Force Base, Utah |
| November 1994
- August 1996, commander, Space and Missile Systems Center,
Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. |
| August 1996 -
May 1999, director, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization,
Department of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. |
| May 1999 - present,
vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon,
Washington, D.C. |
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
| Defense Distinguished Service
Medal |
| Distinguished Service Medal
|
| Defense Superior Service Medal |
| Legion of Merit with oak leaf
cluster |
| Meritorious Service Medal with
two oak leaf clusters |
| Air Force Commendation Medal
|
| Senior Missileman Badge |
| Space Badge |
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
| 1990 |
Astronautics Engineer of the
Year, National Space Club |
| 1994 |
Roy Wilkins Renown Service
Award for outstanding contributions to military equal opportunity
policies and programs, National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People |
| 1999 |
Sociedad de Ingenieros Award
and Hiram Hadley Founder's Award of Excellence New Mexico State
University |
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
| Second Lieutenant |
Feb 2, 1968 |
| First Lieutenant |
Aug 2, 1969 |
| Captain |
Feb 2, 1971 |
| Major |
Nov 1, 1979 |
| Lieutenant Colonel |
Dec 1, 1982 |
| Colonel |
Dec 1, 1985 |
| Brigadier General |
May 1, 1991 |
| Major General |
Aug 6, 1993 |
| Lieutenant General |
Nov 16, 1994 |
| General |
Jul 1, 1999 |
|
