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General Robert T. Herres former first U.S. Space Command commander and also our nation's first vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Former U.S. Space Command commander dies at 75
Posted 7/29/2008 Updated 7/29/2008
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by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs
7/29/2008 - Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. -- Gen. Robert T. Herres who served as the first U.S. Space Command commander and the nation's first vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Gen. Colin Powell, has died at the age of 75. Herres died July 24 in his home, after a two-year battle with brain cancer.
General Herres was born in 1932 in Denver, Colo., where he attended East High School. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954, but took his commission in the Air Force. He earned master's degrees in electrical engineering and public administration from the Air Force Institute of Technology and The George Washington University. He flew F-86 fighters and served at various posts in the United States and Europe. In 1966, the Air Force selected General Herres as an astronaut-pilot for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program. However, the program was cancelled in 1969 and he did not get a chance to fly in space.
From March 1974 to June 1979, General Herres served in various aspects of the command and control systems field at Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Electronic Systems Division of Air Force Systems Command and Headquarters Air Force. The general became commander of Air Force Communications Command at Scott AFB, Ill., in June 1979. He later assumed command of SAC's 8th Air Force at Barksdale AFB, La., in July 1981, and became the director for command, control and communications systems for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October 1982.
General Herres was assigned to Peterson AFB, Colo., as commander in chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and Aerospace Defense Command, and commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command in July 1984. He became the first commander in chief of the U.S. Space Command upon activation of the unified command in September 1985. Shortly thereafter General Herres was selected as the first-ever vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in February 1987 and served in that position until 1990 when he retired.
His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.
The general is survived by his wife of 51 years, Shirley, and three children: Julie Latenser, Michael Herres and Jennifer Babeon
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