- Lt. Col. Richard J. Burgess – As Chief of the Aviation Safety Branch for the U.S. Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Col. Burgess is responsible for coordinating all Air Force aircraft mishap investigations. A command pilot with more than 2,900 hours in the T-37, T-38, T-41, A-10 and F-16, he has also served as wing Chief of Safety and commander of the 39th Support Squadron at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; on the Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe staff at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and as wing Chief of Safety at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Also a qualified Air Traffic Controller, he holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the Air Force Academy.
- Thomas L. Carter – Mr. Carter is a consultant for National Security Affairs. He advises senior corporate personnel of several companies on national security issues pending before the executive and legislative branches. He has extensive knowledge of national security issues and defense programs as well as a thorough understanding of the federal budgeting and legislative processes, as a result of more than 22 years of responsibility at the White House, the U.S. Senate and the Department of Defense. He has served a variety of posts including the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Office of Legislative Affairs, the Assistant to the Senate Republican Leader (Senator Robert Dole), and the Air Force Aide to the President. Mr. Carter also serves the nation as a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.
- Thomas L. Foster – After a distinguished career with the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (Naval Reactors) from 1963 to 1994, and as Director of Resource Management from 1972 to 1994, Mr. Foster became President of TAF, Inc. While there, he has worked on special projects for the Navy, the Department of Energy and construction contractors. Those projects have included Hanford Lab costs, the Women in Submarines study, the new attack submarine, privatization, a new aircraft carrier cost and military effectiveness analysis and acquisition strategy. Mr. Foster has an MBA from George Washington University.
- CDR Mike Francis – As head of the Naval Safety Center Aircraft Mishap Investigations Division, CDR Francis has overseen 15 major aircraft mishap investigations and manages an experienced staff of investigators. He is a designated Naval Aviator and helicopter pilot with 1,800 hours in CH-46 helicopters and 950 hours in UH-1N helicopters. He holds a BA in Pre-Engineering Physics from Miami University.
- Howard E. Goldstein – Mr. Goldstein retired as the Chief Scientist of the Space Technology Division at NASA Ames Research Center in July 2000. During a 30-year career at Ames, he initiated the research program for development of materials that are now major components of the Thermal Protection System of the Space Shuttle Orbiter and contributed to other knowledge advancements in the field of thermal protection materials and systems and ablation theory. He was a senior scientist at the Research Institute of Advanced Computer Science/University Space Research Association in 2001 and 2002 and is now a consultant. He received his BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona.
- Lt. Col Patrick A. Goodman – Currently the Chief of Safety for the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Col. Goodman also served for one year as the director of Combat Search and Rescue for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. He has more than 3,200 hours of flying time in five different types of helicopters and 10 years of major aircraft mishap investigation experience. He is a 1986 graduate of the Air Force Academy and was a Distinguished Graduate of Undergraduate Helicopter Training.
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From Nick Greene, About.com Guide
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