Lance Lord
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General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Lance W. Lord (born July 12, 1946) is a retired four-star general in the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
who served as Commander of
Air Force Space Command An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...
at
Peterson Air Force Base Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a United States Space Force base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home t ...
in Colorado.


Military career

Lord was educated at
Castle Heights Military Academy Castle Heights Military Academy was a private military academy in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It opened in 1902 and became a military school in 1918. The school closed in 1986. Its former campus was placed on the National Register of His ...
and
Otterbein College Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio, United States. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Brethren founder, Philip William Otterbein. It has been as ...
, where he earned a bachelor's degree and graduated from the
ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...
program. He later earned a master's degree from the
University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...
. After entering the Air Force in 1969, he served four years of
Minuteman II The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. , the LGM-30G (Version 3) is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States and represents th ...
ICBM alert duty and then completed a series of Air Staff and joint duty assignments in strategic missiles. He directed the Ground-Launched Cruise Missile Program Management Office in Europe. He was a Military Assistant to the Director of Net Assessment in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out au ...
and represented the Air Force as a research associate in international security affairs at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
. Lord commanded two ICBM wings in Wyoming and North Dakota. In California he commanded a space wing responsible for satellite launch and ballistic missile test launch operations. He served as Director of Plans and as Vice Commander for Headquarters Air Force Space Command. The general led Air Force education and training as Commandant of
Squadron Officer School Squadron Officer School (SOS), is a 5.5-week-long Professional Military Education (PME) course for U.S. Air Force and Space Force Captains, Department of the Air Force Civilian (DAFC) equivalents and International Officers. It fulfills the ...
, Commander of
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, Commander of Air University and Director of Education for
Air Education and Training Command The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine List of major commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was esta ...
. Prior to assuming command of Space Command, he was the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He retired on April 1, 2006. In 2004 while serving as Air Force Space Command Commander, Lord announced the introduction of a new space badge. The new combined Space and Missile Operations Badge, informally known as "spings" (SPace wINGS), "Space Boomerang", or "Space Blade" replaced the
Missile Badge The Missile Badge is a military decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created on 23 May 1958. The "pocket rocket" badge recognizes those commissioned officers and enlisted personnel of the US Air Force who have qualified a ...
for operators. In addition, the new badge is no longer limited to pure space and missile operators/maintainers, but is also awarded to 61XX, 62XX and 63XX (officer) AFSCs who have performed space/ICBM acquisition duties, even if they were non-operational in nature.


Assignments

*January 1969 – February 1969, student, ICBM operational readiness training,
Chanute AFB Chanute Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force facility, located in Champaign County, Illinois, south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force ...
, Illinois *February 1969 – May 1969, student, combat crew missile training,
Vandenberg AFB Vandenberg Space Force Base , previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the ...
, California *May 1969 – June 1973, Minuteman II combat crewmember, 321st Strategic Missile Wing,
Grand Forks AFB Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks. The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat ...
, North Dakota *June 1973 – September 1975, Minuteman II evaluation member, 3901st Strategic Missile Evaluation Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, California *September 1975 – August 1976, missile operations staff officer, Air Staff Training Program, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *August 1976 – July 1978, missile operations staff officer, Strategic Division, Directorate of Operations and Readiness, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *July 1978 – July 1979, student,
Air Command and Staff College The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air Un ...
, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *July 1979 – July 1982, military assistant to the Director for Net Assessment,
Office of the Secretary of Defense The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out au ...
, Washington, D.C. *July 1982 – July 1983, Air Force research associate, Program of International Security and Military Affairs, Ohio State University, Columbus *July 1983 – August 1984, Commander, 10th Strategic Missile Squadron,
Malmstrom AFB Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. It is the home of the 341st Mi ...
, Montana *August 1984 – June 1985, Deputy Commander, 341st Combat Support Group, Malmstrom AFB, Montana *July 1985 – July 1987, Director, Ground-Launched Cruise Missile Program Management Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe,
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
, West Germany *July 1987 – June 1988, student,
Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University (United States Air Force), Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, ...
, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *June 1988 – February 1989, Vice Commander, 351st Strategic Missile Wing,
Whiteman AFB Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for 2nd Lt George Whiteman, who was killed during the atta ...
, Missouri *February 1989 – May 1990, Commander, 321st Strategic Missile Wing, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota *June 1990 – August 1992, Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *August 1992 – August 1993, Commander, 90th Missile Wing, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming *August 1993 – August 1995, Commander, 30th Space Wing and Western Range, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California *August 1995 – August 1996, Director of Plans, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado *August 1996 – August 1997, Commander, 2nd Air Force,
Keesler AFB Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2nd ...
, Mississippi *August 1997 – June 1999, Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado *June 1999 – May 2001, Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *May 2001 – April 2002, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *April 2002 – April 2006, Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado


Awards and decorations


Other achievements

*1988 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama *1999 Gen. Thomas D. White Space Trophy,
Air Force Association The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, professional military association for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, its declared mission is " ...
*2003 Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Fellow Award, Air Force Association, Northern Utah Chapter *2003 Distinguished Achievement Award, Air Force Association, Tennessee Ernie Ford Chapter *2004 Gen. James V. Hartinger Award,
National Defense Industrial Association The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) is a trade association for the United States government and defense industrial base. It is an 501(c)(3) educational organization. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia. NDIA was establi ...
, Rocky Mountain Chapter *2004 Gen. Jimmy Doolittle Fellow Award, Air Force Association, Iron Gate Chapter *2004 Gen. Bernard A. Schriever Award, Air Force Association, Los Angeles Chapter *2005 Space Champion Award, National Defense Industrial Association *2006
Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...
, Air Force Space Command


Effective dates of promotion

*Second Lieutenant December 4, 1968 *First Lieutenant July 28, 1970 *Captain January 28, 1972 *Major September 1, 1978 *Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 1982 *Colonel December 1, 1985 *Brigadier General September 1, 1992 *Major General March 14, 1996 *Lieutenant General September 1, 1997 *General April 19, 2002


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord, Lance W. Living people Otterbein University alumni Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Air Force generals University of North Dakota alumni 1946 births Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States)