 william arthur pailes (colonel, usaf) (born june 26, 1952) was a usaf astronaut in the manned spaceflight engineer program during the mid-1980s. he served as a payload specialist on sts-51-j atlantis (october 3â7, 1985). ==personal== pailes was born in hackensack, new jersey, but considers kinnelon, new jersey, to be his hometown. he is married and is a former deacon and treasurer of his church in el segundo, california. he now teaches the afjrotc program at temple high school in temple, tx. he is the senior aerospace science instructor. ==education== pailes graduated from kinnelon high school in kinnelon, new jersey in 1970. he then received his bachelor of science degree in computer science at the usaf academy in colorado springs, colorado four years later. from 1974 to 1975 he attended pilot training at the williams air force base, arizona where he trained as a hc-130 rescue pilot in the aerospace rescue and recovery service. in 1978, he attended the squadron officer school. pailes received his master of science degree in computer science at texas a&m university in 1981. ==experience== he was an hc-130 pilot in air force rescue from december 1975 to july 1980 in mcclellan air force base, california and royal air force base, woodbridge, england. he was then manager, mini-computer operating systems software development, from january 1982 to december 1982 at headquarters military airlift command, scott air force base, illinois. he was a manned spaceflight engineer from january 1983 to 1990s at usaf manned spaceflight engineering program, los angeles air force station, california. from august 2002 to 2011 he was the instructor of the afjrotc program, corsicana, texas, as a jrotc senior aerospace science instructor. from august of 2011 to present, he has been the instructor of the afjrotc program, temple, texas, as a jrotc senior aerospace science instructor. ==spaceflight experience== pailes flew as a payload specialist on sts-51-j atlantis (october 3â7, 1985) which launched from kennedy space center, florida, and returned to land at edwards air force base, california. sts-51-j was the second space shuttle department of defense miss
1952_births American_astronauts Living_people People_from_Hackensack,_New_Jersey People_from_Kinnelon,_New_Jersey People_from_St._Clair_County,_Illinois Texas_A&M_University_alumni United_States_Air_Force_Academy_alumni United_States_Air_Force_astronauts United_States_Air_Force_officers