Mr. David E. "Sparky" Olsen Col, USAF (Retired)
A longtime devotee of both aviation and space operations, David "Sparky" Olsen graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1974-and completed undergraduate pilot training at Texas' Reese Air Force Base in 1975. Mr. Olsen was first assigned to the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS), 19th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan, as an Aircraft Commander in the RF-4C tactical reconnaissance aircraft. In 1977, he began a four-year stint in the 12th TRS, Bergstrom AFB, Texas, where he served as an RF-4C aircraft commander, an instructor pilot, and a flight examiner. He earned over 1450 hours of flying time.
Following completion in 1983 of a Masters Degree in Space Operations from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Mr. Olsen was stationed at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, where he served as a Space Shuttle Payload Officer responsible for payload integration and flight operations. He was transferred in 1989 to Onizuka Air Station where he was responsible for on-orbit operations for a multi-mission space program.
In 1994, Mr. Olsen was assigned to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Communications Directorate, where he co-managed a large communications and computer infrastructure supporting national space systems. In 1997, he was assigned to a classified location to provide oversight of satellite command and control tasking and mission data processing for these space programs. He became commander of the site two years later. In 2001, Mr. Olsen retired from the US Air Force and joined the Central Intelligence Agency, retaining his portfolio of responsibilities and continuing to support the NRO. In 2002, he became Director of the NRO's Legislative Liaison Staff, where he represented the Director before Congressional Oversight Committees on a broad range of space and technology issues. He left this position in December of 2003 for a career in the private sector.
His NRO colleagues donate this profile and the accompanying Wall of Honor inscription on his behalf, with thanks for his friendship and leadership-and in recognition of his passion for aviation and space.