Lt. Gen. Ronald T. Kadish, Ret. (born April 6, 1948) is a United States Air Force officer who rose to head the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and the Missile Defense Agency within the United States Department of Defense.
Born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, Kadish attended the Cardinal O'Hara High School and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1970 from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia[1] and joined the Air Force through the OTS program. He trained as a pilot on the C-130E aircraft and, as a pilot and instructor, logged over 2,500 flight hours.
By the early 1990s, Kadish had risen through the ranks to the posts of Program Director of the F-15, F-16, and C-17 programs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. From 1996 to 1999, he commanded the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, and in 1999 was named director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in The Pentagon.
From January 2002 until his retirement in September 2004, Kadish headed the Missile Defense Agency. His name was circulated as a possible NASA administrator following the 2004 resignation of Sean O'Keefe. He now works at Booz Allen Hamilton.
| 1st Row | Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal | Legion of Merit | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Row | Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters | Air Medal | Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | ||||||||
| 3rd Row | Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three oak leaf clusters | Combat Readiness Medal | Air Force Recognition Ribbon | National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars | ||||||||
| 4th Row | Air Force Overseas Ribbon - Long | Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters | Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon | Air Force Training Ribbon | ||||||||