Retired Maj. Gen. Joseph T. Anderson has been promoted to the position of deputy director for the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia.

Gen. Anderson joined the Smithsonian museum in 2003 as associate director for the newly opened facility in Chantilly, Va. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2001, after serving as commanding general, First Marine Aircraft Wing, following key positions in the U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters, Naval Air Systems Command and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also had commanded the Marine Aircraft Group 13 in Yuma, Ariz.

The new deputy director is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He was a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War, serving in a number of Marine attack squadrons. He also was a test pilot at Patuxent River, Md., and an AV-8 Harrier systems and engineering officer with Naval Air Systems Command. Gen. Anderson holds numerous decorations for his military service.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center displays among its artifacts the larger icons in the museum’s collection including the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the space shuttle Enterprise, a Concorde and the “Dash 80” Boeing 707 prototype—plus uniforms, aerial cameras, ballooning memorabilia and thousands of other smaller items. The Center is located off of Route 28 and is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission to the Udvar-Hazy Center is free, but there is a $12 fee for parking.