REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. - Mr. Leon Riley knows a thing or two about missile defense. During his career spanning 45 years in the business, he has accumulated 17 patents, notably one resulting from his work on a first-known application of fiber optics for communications. Riley also received a patent for his work as co-inventor of the Hydra 70 rocket motor ignition assembly, which enabled the safe handling of the missile during intense radio and radar transmissions. The Hydra 70 is the most widely fielded aircraft and helicopter missile in the military inventory.
Riley retired June 1 from his position of general engineer in the New Initiatives and Innovations Division, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command. Most recently, Riley managed and directed a research and development program between USASMDC/ARSTRAT, eight major universities and private industry. These programs focused on research in developing smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient military hardware that operates with less maintenance and logistical requirements.
The following is a question and answer session about Riley's career, as he retires from 48 years of combined military and civilian service.
Q: How did you get your start in the civil service'
RILEY: I went to Auburn University, which is a land-grant university. I don't know if you know this, but until the Vietnamese conflict, all land grant universities had to have mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps for the first two years. The last two years were optional and was known as the advanced program. I enrolled, took ROTC and went through the advanced program. I was an armament electronics maintenance officer in the Air Force.
Q: Why the Air Force'
RILEY: I was told to register for the Corps of Engineers but there was a really long line. An upperclassman told me that if I went over to the Air Force line I could sign up immediately, and I wouldn't have to wait. And, I wouldn't have to carry a rifle. So, I got in that line and that determined my military career. I served my commitment of three years and when I got out, I went back and got my electrical engineering degree, since I had already been working in electronics.
Q: How did you arrive at SMDC'
RILEY: In 1964, I went to work in the Missile Command Test and Evaluation Directorate, which at that time was part of the Army Missile Command Research and Development Laboratory. I was there for more than 20 years. In 1987, I transferred to SMDC.
Q: What was the draw of SMDC' What kept you here'
RILEY: I have really enjoyed these last several years working with university professors and graduate students on research programs. It has been wonderful to be able to work with a lot of professors, particularly the young professors, who were eager to advance state-of-the-art technology. That has been a real highlight of my career. I've worked with professors and graduate students from universities in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas. Dr. Charles Smith, who was the chairman of the electrical engineering department at Ole Miss, once remarked that our Advanced Radar Power Program has made it easier to offer larger stipends to graduate students. He said that our program really helped make Ole Miss more competitive with other universities.
The other thing that kept me here was being able to see a program come to fruition. I hated to bail out before these programs reached maturity. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to develop programs and take research into an area where it's capable of transitioning and able to mature. You start a program in an immature area, and then having the time to see it through to maturity is really great. For example, we have an onboard vehicle power program that has matured and transitioned to a contractor for further development. I think it is going to make a big impact. We had difficulty getting it introduced because of competition between the services for things like power. But we did it. We also have antennas that were developed at Ole Miss that have been transferred and I think they will have a huge impact on future radar, communication and satellite programs. The research and development we've done on getting a narrow beam width and more efficient antennas will have a huge impact on the future of radar and communications.
Q: Are there any colleagues that you have worked with who have made a difference in your career'
RILEY: Yes, there are several professors that I have really respected. There's Dr. Bruce Tatarchuck at Auburn University in the chemical engineering department. His department has developed catalytic materials that can convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide for protection of fuel cells. This material also has applications in the mine safety industry. Dr. Tatarchuck is involved in applying this material to breathing masks which will allow miners to survive lethal levels of carbon monoxide. This technology was developed under our program, and hopefully we can apply these catalytic materials to other programs.
There's also David Lawrence at Mississippi State University who runs the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, which is the only manned flight research lab at any university. USASMDC/ARSTRAT was involved in producing one of the only all-carbon-composite aircraft there.
Q: Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of'
RILEY: I am extremely proud of the work I did in investigating the accidental ignition of a Pershing II rocket motor in Germany, which created an international incident at the time. I was able to replicate and prove that electrostatic discharge was the cause of the accidental rocket motor ignition. This resulted in adding conductivity to the Kevlar epoxy case in order to reduce the possibility of build up of electrostatic charge. Another technology I worked on was the development of the first-known application of fiber optics for communications. The work on this fiber optic telemetry system led to a patent called "Fiber Optic Missile Guidance and Control." While this patent was being processed, a major program was implemented to develop a fiber-optic guided missile.
Q: Any advice you would give newcomers coming into the field of missile defense'
RILEY: I think it would be good to get experience with hardware to understand what it takes to operate and build space and missile defense equipment. Young engineers can gain a lot of professional knowledge by participating in missile and sensory testing. I think this could add to their professional confidence.
Q: What's next'
RILEY: My wife and I are going to Alaska for a vacation, and I'm not sure where I'll go from there!
Deborah.Erhart@us.army.mil
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