James W . Stansberry James W . Stansberry ( December 29 , 1927June 28 , 2010 ) was a United States Air Force lieutenant general and commander of the Electronic Systems Division , Air Force Systems Command , Hanscom Air Force Base , Massachusetts . Early life and education . Stansberry was born on December 29 , 1927 , in Grafton , West Virginia , and graduated from the United States Military Academy , West Point , New York , in 1949 . He earned his Master of Business Administration degree , with distinction , in 1956 from the Air Force Institute of Technology , Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio . In conjunction with his master ' s studies , he was the recipient of the Mervin E . Gross and the Wall Street Journal Awards presented annually to the top graduate . He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk , Va . Career . Stansberry began his military career by enlisting as a Private in the Army in 1945 . Following graduation from the United States Military Academy , he was commissioned in the Air Force and served from September 1950 through December 1954 in the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project at Albuquerque , New Mexico . After graduation from the Air Force Institute of Technology in September 1956 , he was assigned to the Northern Air Materiel Area , Pacific , with duty as chief of production at the Kawasaki - Gifu Contract Facility at Gifu , Japan . Stansberry was assigned as assistant professor of air science at Michigan College of Mining and Technology from April 1959 to August 1961 . He then transferred to the Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base , Ala . , and served on the Air Force Reserve Officers ' Training Corps headquarters staff for two years . Following graduation from the Armed Forces Staff College in January 1964 , Stansberry was ordered to the Air Force Directorate of Nuclear Safety , Kirtland Air Force Base , N . M . In July 1968 he transferred to the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense ( Atomic Energy ) in Washington , D . C . This tour of duty culminated in his appointment as deputy assistant to the secretary of Defense ( atomic energy ) , where he served until July 1971 . Stansberry was assigned to Air Force Systems Command headquarters , Andrews Air Force Base , Md . , as a division chief and later as executive secretary for Project Acquisition Cost Evaluation , from August 1971 to August 1973 . He then returned to the Pentagon and served on the Air Staff as deputy director of procurement policy . In August 1974 he was appointed deputy to the deputy assistant secretary of defense ( procurement ) . While there he conducted a major Department of Defense study of defense contract profitability ( Profit 176 ) which resulted in major changes to Department of Defense profit policy . From February 1977 to January 1981 , he was deputy chief of staff for contracting and manufacturing , Air Force Systems Command . He assumed his last command in February 1981 . He was promoted to Lieutenant General March 10 , 1981 , with same date of rank . After 39 years of service , Stansberry retired on August 1 , 1984 . Later life and death . Stansberry died on June 28 , 2010 , in Virginia Beach , Virginia . He was preceded in death by his wife , Audrey Mildred Heinz ; and brothers , David and William . He leaves behind daughters , Norah Stansberry of Spokane , WA , Amy and husband Rick Goodhand of Arnold , MD and Lisa and Husband Tony Porten of Chesapeake , VA . He is known as " Bapa " to his grandchildren , Adrian , Mason , Nate , Megan , Jimmy , Molly , Cayla and Maya ; and his great grandchildren , Bradan and Alison .