Don R. Ostrander Major General, United States Air Force |
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| Courtesy
of the United States Air Force
MAJOR GENERAL DON R. OSTRANDER
Major General Don Richard Ostrander is commander of the Office of Aerospace Research which is responsible for planning, programming and managing the U.S. Air Force research program. General Ostrander was born in Stockbridge, Michigan, attended local schools and studied engineering at Western State College; Michigan. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in June 1933 and graduated in 1937. From April 1938 until December 1939 he served
as a troop commander in the cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas. In 1939 he was
detailed to the Ordnance Department and served in various positions in
the Aviation Ordnance Field at Langley Field, Virginia, Baer Field, Indiana,
Selfridge Field, Michigan, Florence, South Carolina and Charleston, South
Carolina. In May 1942 he was transferred to England where he became the
ordnance and armament officer, Eighth Air Force Interceptor Command. During
this tour General Ostrander helped modify the P-38 airplane to accommodate
a bombardier with the Norden bombsight. He served as bombardier on the
initial test missions of this aircraft
In July 1944 the general returned to the United States and was assigned to Headquarters AAFTAC, Orlando, Fla., as chief, Auto and Munitions Branch and later served as director of materiel and services. General Ostrander attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, from March 1946 until graduation in July 1946, and then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, graduating in June 1947. This was followed by a four-year tour at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio where the general served as chief, Fire Control Branch, Armament Laboratory and Chief of Plans, Engineering Division, Air Materiel Command. From June 1951 until September 1954 General Ostrander served at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, as deputy commander, 6540th Missile Test Wing. Later when Holloman was redesignated the Holloman Air Development Center, he became commander of this center. General Ostrander's next assignment was as
director of development at Headquarters Air Research and Development Command,
Baltimore, Maryland, and in September 1955 he was designated assistant
deputy commander for weapon systems, Headquarters ARDC, which moved to
Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. In May 1957 he became deputy commander
for resources, Headquarters ARDC, a position he held until
The general was then appointed assistant for guided missiles production with the NATO International Staff, Paris, France and in October 1959 returned to the United States as deputy director of Advanced Research Projects Agency, Office of the Secretary of Defense, located in the Pentagon. From October 1959 until August 1961 General Ostrander was director of the Office of Launch Vehicles, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington and in September 1961 became vice commander, Ballistic Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, Los Angeles, California. In October 1962 General Ostrander assumed command of the Office of Aerospace Research in Washington, D.C. Military decorations awarded General Ostrander include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters.
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