Ronald T. Kadish
Ronald T. Kadish | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 6, 1948 Kingston, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | United States Air Force officer, defense consultant |
| Years active | ?–2004 |
| Known for | Leadership of Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and Missile Defense Agency |
Lt. Gen. Ronald T. Kadish, Ret. (born April 6, 1948), is a former United States Air Force officer who served as the leader of both the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and later the Missile Defense Agency under the United States Department of Defense.
Biography
Kadish was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1970. He entered the Air Force through Officer Training School (OTS) and completed pilot training on the C-130E, accumulating more than 2,500 flight hours as both pilot and instructor.
During the early 1990s, he held the position of Program Director overseeing the F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and C-17 Globemaster III programs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Between 1996 and 1999, Kadish commanded the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, before being named director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization at The Pentagon.
He led the Missile Defense Agency from January 2002 until his retirement in September 2004. After Sean O'Keefe's departure in 2004, Kadish was among those considered for the NASA administrator role. Following his military career, he joined the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.
Awards and decorations
| 1st Row | Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal | Legion of Merit | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Row | Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters | Air Medal | Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters | |||||||||
External links
- Archived Air Force biography
- C-SPAN profile