Claude M . Bolton , Jr . Claude M . Bolton , Jr . ( born December 13 , 1945 ) is a retired United States Air Force officer who served as United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition , Logistics , and Technology from 2002 to 2008 . Biography . Claude M . Bolton , Jr . was born in 1945 in Sioux City , Iowa . He was educated at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln , receiving a bachelor ' s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1969 . While in college , he served in the Reserve Officers ' Training Corps , and after college , he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in June 1969 . After spending a year in undergraduate pilot training at Williams Air Force Base , he served as a fighter pilot posted at McConnell Air Force Base for the second half of 1970 , at Davis – Monthan Air Force Base in early 1971 , and at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base 1971 - 72 . In total , during the course of the Vietnam War , Bolton logged over 2 , 700 hours in over 30 different aircraft ; this involved 232 combat missions , 40 of which were over North Vietnam . He then spent 1972 - 74 as an instructor pilot over Cannon Air Force Base , ultimately logging enough hours to become a command pilot . In 1974 , he attended the five - week - long Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base . From 1974 to 1976 , he was an instructor pilot at RAF Upper Heyford . Bolton then spent all of 1977 at the U . S . Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base . He was then a test pilot stationed at Eglin Air Force Base 1978 - 82 , during which time he flew test flights for the McDonnell Douglas F - 4 Phantom II , the General Dynamics F - 111 Aardvark , and the General Dynamics F - 16 Fighting Falcon . Also , in 1978 he completed a Master ' s Degree in management from Troy State University . Bolton spent the next phase of his Air Force career in program management . In 1982 , he completed correspondence courses from the Air Command and Staff College . He also attended the Defense Systems Management College of the Defense Acquisition University . From 1982 to 1985 , he was posted to Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , where he was the program manager of the Lockheed Martin F - 22 Raptor System Program Office . He then spent 1985 - 86 as a student at the Naval War College . From 1985 to 1986 , he served in the Pentagon as the program element officer for the General Dynamics F - 16 Fighting Falcon and as deputy division chief of the Aircraft Division , and later division chief of the Low Observables Vehicle Division in the Office of Special Programs . In 1988 , Bolton returned to Wright - Patterson Air Force Base to serve as deputy program director for the Northrop Grumman B - 2 Spirit Program System Office . From 1989 to 1992 , he was program director of the AGM - 129 ACM System Program Office at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base . Also , in 1991 , he completed a master ' s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College . Remaining at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , from 1992 to 1993 , he was inspector general of the Air Force Materiel Command . He was then commandant of the Defense Systems Management College at Fort Belvoir from 1993 to 1996 . He spent three months as special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ( Acquisition ) in 1996 , and then returned to Air Force Materiel Command as director of requirements 1996 - 98 . From 1998 to 2000 , he was Program Executive Officer for fighter and bomber programs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ( Acquisition ) . He was then commanding officer of the Air Force Security Assistance Center 2000 - 2002 . As such , he was responsible for overseeing over $ 90 billion of sales of military equipment to foreign countries . He retired from the Air Force in 2002 , having attained the rank of Major General . In 2002 , President of the United States George W . Bush nominated Bolton to be United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition , Logistics , and Technology , and , after Senate confirmation , Bolton held this office from February 1 , 2002 to January 2 , 2008 . During this period , he received an honorary doctorate from Cranfield University in 2006 , and a second honorary doctorate from his " alma mater " , the University of Nebraska – Lincoln , in 2007 . On January 3 , 2008 , Bolton became Executive - In - Residence of the Defense Acquisition University .