Lieutenant General Henry A. “Trey” Obering III grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended St. Barnabas Regional School and John Carroll Catholic High School. Although today he is the director of the Missile Defense Agency, he admits to having had a fear of Ferris wheels as a child. In 1973 Obering received a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame. In 1977 he moved on to graduate from the Squadron Officer School of Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, followed by the achievement of a Master of Science degree in astronautical engineering from Stanford University in 1980. He also attended Defense Systems Management College at Fort Belvoir in 1984. In 1988 Obering graduated from Air Command and Staff College of Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, after which he completed his education in 1993 by graduating from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.

 

Obering entered the Air Force in 1973 after completing the University of Notre Dame's ROTC program as a distinguished graduate. He received his pilot wings in 1975 and flew operational assignments in the F-4E. Obering was later assigned to the Space Shuttle program and participated in 15 space shuttle launches as a NASA orbiter project engineer and was responsible for integrating firing room launch operations. He became the director of MDA after his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Ronald T. Kadish, retired in 2004.  Before accepting his current position, Obering oversaw acquisition of Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

 

In January 2008, he visited the Czech Republic to discuss plans for building a radar station in the country as a part of the US missile shield.

 

Interview With Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering (by Wade Boese and Miles A. Pomper, Arms Control Association)

St. Barnabas Graduate takes charge of U.S. missile defense (St. Barnabus Regional School)