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This Day in History – June 10, 1969 – The X-15 gets a place in history

10 June 1969: The U.S. Air Force donated the first North American Aviation X-15, serial number 56-6670, to the Smithsonian Institution for display at the National Air and Space Museum. The first of three X-15A hypersonic research rocketplanes built by North American for the Air Force and the National Advisory Committee (NACA, the predecessor of NASA), 56-6670 made the first glide flight and

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Love, John A.

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  • Love, John A.

John Andrew Love

Preferred Name: Andy
Date of Birth: December 12, 1944
Highest Military Grade: 0-8 – Major General
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Biography
Pilot Information
Album
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“I joined the Colorado Air Guard at Buckley AB in Colorado as an enlisted airman in April of 1967. That Summer, 1967, I attended USAF basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. After returning to Buckley and the COANG, I trained as an aircraft mechanic and achieved a 5-level proficiency. I was recalled by the USAF for the Pueblo Crisis in January of 1968, given a direct commission in June and orders for UPT at Williams AFB near Phoenix. I graduated 5th in UPT class and was signed to Luke AFB in Arizona for transition training in the F-100.

I flew the F-100 through 1974 when the unit transitioned into the A-7, then flew the A-7 as a traditional Guardsman for 17 years, including deployments to Holland, Turkey, Canada, Panama, Honduras, and Alaska. In 1992, the unit transitioned to the F-16 and I attended training, again, at Luke for 3 months. Then it was back to Buckley ANGB (soon to be AFB) for proficiency flying in a traditional status. While there I had TDYs in South Korea and Australia. I was promoted to 0-6 as vice wing commander and served as headquarters Director of Operations before leaving the cockpit.

My promotion to O-7 resulted in a position as Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of COANG. I was then selected as second ANG Assistant to the Commander Air Force Space Command in 1996 and promoted to 0-8. While in that job,  I happened to be at the Pentagon on 9/11 when the jet hit.

The President stood up US Northern Command in 1992 and my boss, Ed Eberhart asked me to join him in standing up the command. My job was to integrate the National Guard into the homeland defense command. My official job title was Special Assistant to the Combatant Commander, NORAD/NORTHCOM for National Guard Matters and Liaison to the Chief, NGB.

I retired from that position and the USAF, as an O-8, in 2004. My total flying time about 3,000 hour and my total consecutive time in the cockpit = 29 years.”

Gen. Love is currently the Principal at Morrison, Love & Co., a consulting group offering its clients lobbying services, locally as well as nationally. It is based in Englewood, CO.

Units Assigned

  • 6/196-6/1969 UPT, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
  • 6/1969-11/1974 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Fighter pilot, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO (F-100)
  • 11/1974-8/1976 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO (A-7)
  • 8/1976-11/1977 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Squadron mobility officer, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 11/197-10/1979 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Squadron disaster preparedness officer, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 10/1979-10/1980 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Assistant D flight commander, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 10/1980-5/1982 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, D flight commander, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 5/1982-8/1983 HQ ARPC, Inactive status, Denver, CO.
  • 8/1983-1/1985 140th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Flight test maintenance officer, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 1/1985-1/1992 140th Tactical Fighter Wing, Wing training officer, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 1/1992-1/1993 140th Tactical Fighter Wing , Chief of plans, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 1/1993-7/1995 140th Fighter Wing, Vice Commander, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 7/1995-9/1996 HQ Colorado Air National Guard, Deputy Commander for operations,  Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 9/1996-9/2000 Assistant Adjutant General, Air, and Commander, Colorado Air National Guard, Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO
  • 9/2000-4/2003 Air National Guard assistant to the Commander, Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), Peterson Air Force Base, CO
  • 4/2003 – Present, Special Assistant to the Combatant Commander, NORAD/NORTHCOM for National Guard Matters and Liaison to the Chief, NGB
  • 1/2005-6/2008 Department of Veterans Affairs, Counselor to the Secretary, Washington, D.C.

Awards & Decorations

Defense Super Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion Of Merit
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Award
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
AF Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Combat Readiness Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with 2 Devices
National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award
Air Force Longevity Service Award with 6 Devices
Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon (SAEMR)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon (AFTR)
Air Force Training Ribbon with 1 Device
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFResM)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 2 Devices
Colorado National Guard Meritorious Service Medal
Colorado Meritorious Service Medal
Colorado National Guard Active Service Medal Ribbon
Colorado Active Service Ribbon
CO Foreign Deployment Service Ribbon
Foreign Deployment Service Ribbon
CO Emergency Service Ribbon
Colorado State Emergency Ribbon
CO Mobilization Support Ribbon
Mobilization Support Ribbon
CO Long Service Medal
Colorado Long Service Ribbon
US National Guard Recruiting Ribbon
Recruiting Ribbon

Flight Info

F-100
A-7
F-16

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,500

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1992 National Security Management Course

Civilian Education:

  • 1967 BA/Political Science, The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO

 

Love, John Andrew Official Photo
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