Episode 92: Engineering pioneer recounts early days of Air Force acquisitions

An early member of the Aeronautical Systems Directorate, a predecessor organization of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, recently made the trek to Dayton, Ohio, site of the early days of his flight test career. Dr. William R. O’Brien, 91, traveled from his home in Maryland to visit a plaque installed in his honor by his family at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. While here, he sat for an episode of AFLCMC’s Leadership Log podcast where he reflected on programs like Skybolt and NATO AWACS as well as his role in the development of “matrix management” system of providing technical expertise to program offices. It was a long and fruitful career that began in a moment of happenstance or perhaps serendipity.