Colonel, USAF, Ret. (since 1987); one of the first three African Americans to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy; that group of three are called the "Pathfinders"; graduated from the test pilot program at Edwards AFB, served in Vietnam; at the time of his selection assigned at Headquarters USAF, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; later he worked for the Air Launched Cruise Missile project in Dayton, Ohio and worked for NSA; semi finalist in NASA astronaut group 8 selection; currently residing in New Mexico.