Henry Obering

Henry Anthony Obering III[1] is a retired lieutenant general of the United States Air Force. His last assignment prior to retirement was as Director of the Missile Defense Agency, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. The MDA is Presidentially-chartered and mandated by Congress to acquire highly effective ballistic missile defense systems for forward-deployed and expeditionary elements of the U.S. armed forces. Additionally, the agency was to develop options and, if directed, acquire systems for ballistic missile defense of the United States. As Director, General Obering was the Acquisition Executive for all ballistic missile defense systems and programs.[2]

Lt. Gen. Henry Obering in 2004

Henry A. Obering [right] at the Washington Foreign Press Center Briefing on "Missile Defense in Europe."

Obering is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and joined the Air Force in 1973 after completing the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at University of Notre Dame as a distinguished graduate. Obering received his pilot wings in 1975 and flew operational assignments in the F-4E; he was later assigned to the Space Shuttle program and participated in 15 space shuttle launches as a NASA orbiter project engineer and was responsible for integrating firing room launch operations. Obering has also been assigned to tours with the Air Force Inspector General, the Defense Mapping Agency and Electronic Systems Center.

In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering,[1] Obering is a graduate of Squadron Officer School; Stanford University, with a Master of Science degree in astronautical engineering; Air Command and Staff College; and Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

He and his wife Anne have 3 children; Arianne, Anthony (Dank), and Paul.