Alfred Starbird

Alfred Dodd Starbird
Born	(1912-04-28)April 28, 1912 Fort Sill, Oklahoma, US
Died	July 28, 1983(1983-07-28) (aged 71) Washington, District of Columbia, US
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1933–1971
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	0-18961
Commands held	Defense Communications Agency Joint Task Force 8 1135th Engineer Combat Group
Battles/wars	World War II  • Operation Torch  • Operation Overlord  • Western Allied invasion of Germany Vietnam War
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal (4) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star (2) Commendation Medal Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Sports career
Sport	Modern pentathlon
Sports achievements and titles
Olympic finals	1936 Summer Olympics

Alfred Dodd Starbird (April 28, 1912 – July 28, 1983) was an American modern pentathlete, lieutenant general, and authority on nuclear weaponry. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, class of 1933, he was commissioned in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was a member of the United States modern pentathlon team at the 1936 Summer Olympics, finishing seventh overall in a field of 42.

During World War II, Starbird served in the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff. He was an observer at landings at Oran and Normandy. In the latter part of the war in Europe, he commanded the 1135th Engineer Combat Group, which supported the assault crossing of the Rhine, and built bridges over the Danube.

From 1955 to 1961, Starbird was Director of Military Applications of the Atomic Energy Commission. He commanded Joint Task Force 8 in the conduct the Operation Dominic series of nuclear tests in 1962, was director of the Defense Communications Agency from 1962 to 1967, and director of the Sentinel program from 1967 to 1971.

After retiring from the Army in 1971, Starbird was director of the newly created Office of Test and Evaluation in the Department of Defense (DOD) from 1971 to 1975, and assistant administrator for National Security in the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) from 1975 to 1977. In 1977, ERDA became part of the new Department of Energy (DOE), and he became its acting secretary for Defense Programs. He retired in 1980.