Gen. Robert T. Herres, 1932-2008

摘要

Retired USAF Gen. Robert T. Herres, who in 1985 became the first commander of United States Space Command, died July 24 at age 75. Herres also had served as the first vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Herres was born in Denver. He attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., but, after graduation, chose a commission in the Air Force because he saw a better chance at flying duty. He became a pilot of F-86 fighters, then served as an air electronics maintenance officer and later as a technical intelligence analyst. He taught at Air University before going to test pilot school at Edwards AFB, Calif. As a test pilot with a master's degree in electrical engineering and experience in technical intelligence, Herres was a natural to be selected, in 1967, as a military astronaut in the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program.The MOL was canceled in 1969 when it was decided that unmanned satellites could perform the same function at less cost.