Golden Gate Wing Guest Speaker Archive

Presentation Date: March 22, 2012

Captain James P. Jim Dutcher, Jr., United States Air Force


OVERVIEW:

- Born October 5, 1943 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and raised in a military family
- Served 20 years in the Air Force in Tactical Systems, Flight Test, Research & Development, Satellite Systems and National Intelligence (research, development and operations)
- Non-rated, but flew more than 3,000 flight hours including 2,000 hours in EC-135N aircraft.
- Worked more than 20 years as a civilian in high tech, supporting National Intelligence and Space Programs

Academic background:
- Undergraduate: Applied Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
- Graduate: Systems Engineering (Management)
- Married, three adult children and two grandchildren.

BACKGROUND:

Childhood: When Jim as born, his father had already left for war in Europe; they didn’t meet until Jim was 2 years old. Jim grew up surrounded by those he admired and respected: WW II veterans and Air Force pioneers. As a child, Jim lived throughout the USA and in Portugal.

Air Force: After graduating high school at 17, Jim managed to gaffe an appointment to the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy, so he enlisted in the Air Force a few months later on January 1st, 1962. Jim was a Mustang, meaning he began his USAF career as an enlisted man and ended it as an officer. After completing the Airmen’s Education and Commissioning Program from 1968-1970 and attending Officer Training School (Honor Graduate), he was commissioned in June 1970. During his military career, Jim was assigned to a variety of positions which included:
- Tactical Missile Guidance Systems and Flight Controls specialist; (non-rated)
- Flight Test Mission Coordinator for the Apollo Moon program
- Instructor, Researcher, Scientist
- Program Manager and Systems Development
He carried Moon rocks back to Houston (along with the astronauts' film to be shown on the evening news) and also flew support missions for Skylab.

Jim flew classified operations throughout the world staging out of Africa, South America, Central America, Australia, Asia, Europe and about any place that had a long runway. He spent time on a bunch of islands in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and the Bering Sea. Jim wrapped up his USAF career working in Space Systems and in National Intelligence. He was nominated to fly on the Shuttle as a Payload Specialist.

Throughout his career, he frequently attended various schools, universities, and other institutions to get re-dipped in education. In 1980, he was selected for Major, declined the promotion, and retired as a Captain.

As a civilian, Jim worked more than 20 years in high tech which included:
- stints as an independent consultant
- 14 years as VP and Director, European Operations, Geodynamics Corp. (now Northrop Grumman)
- 5 years as Director, Advanced Programs Group, Oracle Corporation. Most of this period Jim and his staff were under contract to our National Intelligence folks, with related support to DoD, NATO and other organizations.

Throughout his civilian years, Jim has maintained a home in Pleasanton, California. But in the 1980's, he and his family relocated temporarily to Germany where Jim was the Director of Intelligence Operations, Europe. He had offices in USEUCOM, J2 Patch Barracks, (Stuttgart) Germany and USASFE IN, Ramstein AB, Germany. Jim's area of responsibility included the European Theater of Operations, North Africa, and the Middle East. He worked closely with other NATO and non-NATO countries in support of National interests.

Jim and his family returned to Pleasanton in 1989.

OVERVIEW:

- Born October 5, 1943 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and raised in a military family
- Served 20 years in the Air Force in Tactical Systems, Flight Test, Research & Development, Satellite Systems and National Intelligence (research, development and operations)
- Non-rated, but flew more than 3,000 flight hours including 2,000 hours in EC-135N aircraft.
- Worked more than 20 years as a civilian in high tech, supporting National Intelligence and Space Programs

Academic background:
- Undergraduate: Applied Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
- Graduate: Systems Engineering (Management)
- Married, three adult children and two grandchildren.

BACKGROUND:

Childhood: When Jim as born, his father had already left for war in Europe; they didn’t meet until Jim was 2 years old. Jim grew up surrounded by those he admired and respected: WW II veterans and Air Force pioneers. As a child, Jim lived throughout the USA and in Portugal.

Air Force: After graduating high school at 17, Jim managed to gaffe an appointment to the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy, so he enlisted in the Air Force a few months later on January 1st, 1962. Jim was a Mustang, meaning he began his USAF career as an enlisted man and ended it as an officer. After completing the Airmen’s Education and Commissioning Program from 1968-1970 and attending Officer Training School (Honor Graduate), he was commissioned in June 1970. During his military career, Jim was assigned to a variety of positions which included:
- Tactical Missile Guidance Systems and Flight Controls specialist; (non-rated)
- Flight Test Mission Coordinator for the Apollo Moon program
- Instructor, Researcher, Scientist
- Program Manager and Systems Development
He carried Moon rocks back to Houston (along with the astronauts' film to be shown on the evening news) and also flew support missions for Skylab.

Jim flew classified operations throughout the world staging out of Africa, South America, Central America, Australia, Asia, Europe and about any place that had a long runway. He spent time on a bunch of islands in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and the Bering Sea. Jim wrapped up his USAF career working in Space Systems and in National Intelligence. He was nominated to fly on the Shuttle as a Payload Specialist.

Throughout his career, he frequently attended various schools, universities, and other institutions to get re-dipped in education. In 1980, he was selected for Major, declined the promotion, and retired as a Captain.

As a civilian, Jim worked more than 20 years in high tech which included:
- stints as an independent consultant
- 14 years as VP and Director, European Operations, Geodynamics Corp. (now Northrop Grumman)
- 5 years as Director, Advanced Programs Group, Oracle Corporation. Most of this period Jim and his staff were under contract to our National Intelligence folks, with related support to DoD, NATO and other organizations.

Throughout his civilian years, Jim has maintained a home in Pleasanton, California. But in the 1980's, he and his family relocated temporarily to Germany where Jim was the Director of Intelligence Operations, Europe. He had offices in USEUCOM, J2 Patch Barracks, (Stuttgart) Germany and USASFE IN, Ramstein AB, Germany. Jim's area of responsibility included the European Theater of Operations, North Africa, and the Middle East. He worked closely with other NATO and non-NATO countries in support of National interests.

Jim and his family returned to Pleasanton in 1989.