DR. JAMES G. ROCHE

Dr. James G. Roche is the 20th Secretary of the Air Force. In this role, he is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping, and providing for the welfare of its nearly 370,000 men and women on active duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians, and their families. As head of the Department of the Air Force, Secretary Roche is responsible for its functioning and efficiency, the formulation of its policies and programs, and the timely implementation of decisions and instructions of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. With an annual budget of approximately $68 billion, he ensures the Air Force can meet its current and future operational requirements.

Prior to this appointment, Secretary Roche held several executive positions with Northrop Grumman Corporation, including Corporate Vice President and President, Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman in 1984, he was Democratic Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

Secretary Roche's previous military service spanned 23 years in the United States Navy, retiring with the rank of captain in 1983. As a naval officer, his assignments included Principal Deputy Director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff; Senior Professional Staff Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; and Assistant Director for the Defense Department's Office of Net Assessment. He commanded the USS Buchanan, a guided missile destroyer, and was awarded the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for the Navy's most improved combat unit in the Pacific in 1974.

GENERAL JOHN P. JUMPER

Gen. John P. Jumper is Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of 710,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the general and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the President.

The general was born in Paris, Texas. He earned his commission as a distinguished graduate of Virginia Military Institute's ROTC program in 1966. He has commanded a fighter squadron, two fighter wings, a numbered Air Force, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Forces Central Europe. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as Commander of Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

The general has also served at the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, as the Senior Military Assistant to two secretaries of defense, and as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Roles and Missions. A command pilot with 4,000 flying hours, principally in fighter aircraft, the general served two tours in Southeast Asia, accumulating more than 1,400 combat hours.

GENERAL ROBERT H. FOGLESONG

Gen. Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong is Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. As Vice Chief, he presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Requirements Oversight Council.

General Foglesong earned his wings at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. His aviation career includes more than 3,900 flying hours, primarily in fighter and training assignments in the F-16, F-15, A-10 and AT/T-38. He has been a commander five times. His staff tours include duty as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C; Commander, 12th Air Force; Commander, U.S. Southern Command Air Forces; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL DANIEL JAMES III

Lt. Gen. Daniel James III is Director, Air National Guard, Arlington, Va. The general is responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, plans and programs affecting more than 104,000 Guard members in more than 1,841 units throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

General James earned his commission as a distinguished graduate of the University of Arizona’s ROTC program in 1968. The general is a command pilot with approximately 4,000 hours in fighter and trainer aircraft. A combat veteran with two Distinguished Flying Crosses, General James completed two active-duty tours in Southeast Asia, logging 500 combat hours as a forward air controller and F-4 Phantom aircraft commander.

Prior to becoming ANG Director, General James was the Adjutant General for Texas National Guard headquarters.

REBECCA GRANT

Rebecca Grant is president of IRIS Independent Research, which she founded in 1995.  Her professional research interests center on joint doctrine and air power employment in joint campaigns.   Recent IRIS Independent Research projects include a study of the F-22, analysis of Operation Allied Force and a report on innovation processes in the Department of Defense.  She is the author of The B-2 Goes to War (2001) and The Radar Game (1999) as well as several magazine articles on aspects of aerospace power.  Dr. Grant is also a fellow of the Eaker Institute of Aerospace Concepts, the public policy and research arm of the Air Force Association.

Previously, Grant worked in the operations group of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force as well as for the Secretary of the Air Force.  Her portfolio there included strategic force reductions, bomber programs, assessing logistics costs and the Air Force Roles and Missions project of 1994.  Her first job was with RAND in Santa Monica.

Trained in the field of international relations, she received a B.A. from Wellesley College in 1985 and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics, University of London in 1989.  

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ

As it did for all Americans, history intervened for Daniel Rodriguez on September 11, 2001. Like his colleagues, the seven-year veteran of the New York Police Department stepped up in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on America, going above and beyond the call of duty to help restore a sense of stability and community. But Rodriguez had something unique to offer in this difficult time– the magical effect of his remarkable tenor voice. In a matter of days, his stirring a cappella performances of “God Bless America” and the National Anthem seemed to be something far greater than graceful patriotic gestures. Ringing, heartfelt and beautiful, these songs became transcendent statements of solidarity, determination and hope that galvanized his fellow New Yorkers and fellow Americans. Daniel Rodriguez became “America’s tenor.”

Inspired by the voice of the legendary tenor, Mario Lanza, the Brooklyn native earlier had captured the imagination of the public when former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani introduced him at a New York Yankees game, where he captivated the crowd with his rendition of the National Anthem. The wave of acclaim that greeted his appearances after 9/11 only confirmed that first impression. In the fall of 2001, Rodriguez signed a recording contract with Manhattan Records, a division of Capitol Jazz & Classics. The tenor makes his album debut February 12, 2002 with the release of The Spirit of America, produced by Tom Scott. This follows on the heels of his first single “God Bless America” (with a spoken introduction byformer New York City Mayor Giuliani) and a new song, "We Will Go On.” The single was released on December 11, 2001 on the three-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, with proceeds from its sales going to the Twin Towers Fund. Both songs are included on The Spirit of America.

COLONEL LYLE M. KOENIG, JR.

Colonel Lyle M. Koenig, Jr. is commander of the 16th Special Operations Wing located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. He is responsible for preparing Air Force special operations forces for missions worldwide in support of Army and Navy special operations forces and USAF counterparts.  Wing missions include infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, air refueling, combat aviation advisory, and precision fire support, employing over 75 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.  These capabilities support a variety of special operations missions including counterterrorism, personnel recovery, psychological operations, and assistance to developing nations.

Colonel Koenig graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978. He has held a variety of assignments, which include pilot, instructor pilot and flight evaluator, as well as staff assignments with the Air Force Special Operations Command; Headquarters, US Air Force; and the Joint Staff.

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