Arlington, VA, September 19, 1997 - William D. Croom, Jr., of Colorado Springs, CO, a decorated, retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, was elected National Secretary of the 160,000-member Air Force Association (AFA) during its National Convention and Aerospace Technology Exposition, held in Washington, D.C., September 15-17.

Croom is serving his first term as AFA National Secretary. He joined the organization in 1964 and has served as vice president and president of the Colorado Springs-Lance Sijan Chapter, as Colorado state president and national vice president for the Rocky Mountain Region. He has been a member of the Long-Range Planning, Finance, Resolutions and Executive Committees and is currently a member of the board of directors and chairman of the Long-Range Planning Committee. He also serves as chairman of the Colorado Constitution and By-Laws Committee and as a member of the Executive Council of his local chapter.

Croom was born in Raleigh, NC, graduated from Durham High School in Durham, NC, and earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina in 1963. He completed his M.B.A. course work at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. He earned his pilot wings at Laughlin AFB, TX, in 1964 and served as a T-37 instructor pilot at Moody AFB, GA, until 1968. After upgrade training at Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, Croom flew 218 combat sorties as an F-100 pilot while assigned to the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Tuy Hoa AFB, South Vietnam from July, 1969-June, 1970. He was shot down and rescued on a close air support mission near Tuy Hoa in May, 1970.

Following Vietnam, Croom served as a T-38 instructor pilot, personnel officer, technical training manager, executive officer at a major command, director of protocol at both Air Training Command and the United States Air Force Academy, and as a squadron operations officer. He completed his service as the assistant director for plans and operations at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. During his career, he earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses, 12 Air Medals, the Purple Heart, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1984.

Croom's National awards from the Air Force Association include a Presidential Citation, Exceptional Service Award and Medal of Merit. He has also been selected as Colorado AFAer of the Year.

Active in numerous civic and charitable organizations, Croom has served as a board member and as treasurer of the Pikes Peak USO and the Air Academy Federal Credit Union. He is currently on the board of directors of the Pikes Peak Community College Foundation and is a member of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council.