Lawrence Albert Skantze (June 24, 1928 – June 18, 2018) was a four-star general in the United States Air Force (USAF). He served as commander,

Air Force Systems Command The Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. It was established in April 1951, being split off from Air Materiel Command. The mission of AFSC was Research and Development for new weapons systems. Ove ...

Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint B ...

, Maryland.

Biography

Skantze was born on June 24, 1928, in the

Bronx, New York The Bronx () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York. It is south of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County; north and east of the ...

. After graduation from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1946, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a radio operator. In 1948 he received a competitive appointment from the

U.S. Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...

to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and a commission as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the United States Air Force. He received a Master of Science degree in

nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...

from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in 1959. He completed

Squadron Officer School Squadron Officer School (SOS), is a 5.5-week-long Professional Military Education (PME) course for U.S. Air Force and Space Force Captains, Department of the Air Force Civilian (DAFC) equivalents and International Officers. It fulfills the U.S ...

Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

, Alabama, and Armed Forces Staff College at

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. Skantze completed his basic pilot training at Marana, Arizona, and advanced training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, where he received his pilot wings in August 1953. He next entered B-26 combat crew training and in February 1954 was assigned to the 90th Bombardment Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. In January 1955 he returned to the United States to become aide to the commanding general of

14th Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. Skantze entered the Air Force Institute of Technology in August 1957 and graduated in 1959. Skantze's initial research and development assignment was as project engineer with the joint Air Force-Atomic Energy Commission Nuclear Powered Airplane program in

Germantown, Maryland Germantown is an urbanized census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. With a population of 91,249 as of 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, Germantown is the third most populous place in Maryland, after the city of Baltimore ...

. In August 1961 he was a staff officer assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. From June 1963 to August 1965, he was assistant executive officer to the under secretary of the Air Force. Graduating from the Armed Forces Staff College the following year, Skantze served for three and a half years as director of system engineering and advanced planning in the Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program at the

Space and Missile Systems Organization Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command. It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California and manages the United States' space launch ...

in Los Angeles. From August 1969 to May 1971, he was assigned to Headquarters Air Force Systems Command at

, initially as director of assignments and later as an assistant for senior officer management. He then became deputy for the AGM-69A Short-Range Attack Missile at the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. After serving as deputy for the E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System program at

Hanscom Air Force Base Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located predominantly within Bedford, Massachusetts, with portions extending into the adjoining towns of Lincoln, Concord and Lexington. The facility is adjacent to Hanscom Field ...

, Massachusetts, from June 1973 to June 1977, he returned to Air Force Systems Command headquarters as deputy chief of staff for systems. Skantze took command of the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in March 1979. In August 1982, Skantze was named deputy chief of staff for research, development and acquisition at Air Force headquarters. He was responsible for all U.S. Air Force research, development and acquisition programs. Skantze was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., in October 1983. He assumed command of

in August 1984. Skantze was named as a payload specialist for the classified United States Department of Defense Space Shuttle mission STS-61-N, scheduled for launch on 4 September 1986. This mission was cancelled after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on 28 January 1986. Most of the crew (excluding Skantze and Frank J. Casserino) flew on mission

STS-28 STS-28 was the 30th NASA Space Shuttle mission, the fourth shuttle mission dedicated to United States Department of Defense (DoD) purposes, and the eighth flight of Space Shuttle ''Columbia''. The mission launched on August 8, 1989, and travel ...

in 1989. Skantze was a command pilot and earned the Senior Missile Badge. His military decorations and awards include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster,

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster and Army Commendation Medal. He was promoted to General on October 6, 1983, with same date of rank, and retired from the United States Air Force on July 31, 1987. He died on June 18, 2018.Lawrence A. Skantze's obituary
/ref> Skantze and his wife Patricia Ann "Pat" (Bowers) Skantze (March 20, 1930 – December 15, 2012) were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skantze, Lawrence 1928 births 2018 deaths Military personnel from the Bronx Cardinal Hayes High School alumni United States Navy sailors United States Naval Academy alumni United States Air Force officers United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War Air Force Institute of Technology alumni Joint Forces Staff College alumni Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Vice Chiefs of Staff of the United States Air Force Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States) Military personnel from McLean, Virginia Burials at Arlington National Cemetery