Lifetime Achievement in Government
Col. Jeffrey T. Butler, Ph.D., U.S. Air Force
Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dean of the Faculty, U.S. Air Force Academy
As one of four senior division chiefs for the spy satellite program of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Col. Jeffrey T. Butler, Ph.D. helped design and run a multibillion-dollar space network to obtain information on terrorist organizations worldwide. His challenges included handling problems with spy satellites in space and fighter aircraft in flight, then explaining the expenditures to Congressional representatives, some of whom had sci-fi expectations. But it is all par for the course for Col. Butler of the U.S. Air Force, who has made a career tackling obstacles on and above the planet.
Col. Butler was a self-described Army brat whose father served several tours in Vietnam. The son was interested in engineering and technology, and recalls, “Dad always said if you go into the military, go in as an officer.”
He graduated from the Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1988 and went to work on the F-16 fighter aircraft, which was about to engage in combat over Iraq during the first Gulf War. In 1991, Col. Butler earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Florida State and a second master’s, in military studies, from the Air University. He was then assigned to the F-22 Stealth Fighter program, developing weapons integration systems and electronic maintenance programs. In 1998, he earned a doctorate in computer engineering, specializing in the development of advanced micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to guide unmanned, low-altitude drones and space vehicles. It was this work that led Col. Butler to the NRO, which awarded him the Gold Medal, its highest honor, for his groundbreaking work.
He is now a tenured professor at his alma mater, training the next generation of aerospace engineers.
Roger Witherspoon is a journalist and author based in New York.