Héctor Andrés Negroni

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Hector Andres Negroni
born January 30, 1938 (1938-01-30) (age 70)
Colonel Hector Andres Negroni First Puerto Rican graduate of the United States Air Force Academy
Place of birth	Yauco, Puerto Rico
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1961-1985
Rank	Colonel
Commands held	Deputate of Programs and Resources at the Headquarters United States Air Force in the Pentagon
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Legion of Merit Defense Meritorious Service Medal Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Air Medal
Other work	General Manager AlliedSignal Aerospace Company

Colonel Hector Andres Negroni (born January 30, 1938) is a historian, author and the first Puerto Rican graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

1 Early years
2 Military career
3 Later years
4 Awards and recognitions
- 4.1 Foreign decorations
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Early years

Negroni was born in the town of Yauco, Puerto Rico which is located in the southwestern region of the island. There he received his primary education. While still young, his parents moved to Santa Rosa, California. During this period of his life, his family continued to move and Negroni was to attend school in the Mexican city of Veracruz and finally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ^[1]

In 1956, he graduated from Frankford High School and enrolled in Drexel University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he completed one year of civil engineering before he received appointments for all three service academies, The United States Military Academy at West Point, The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. He decided for the Air Force Academy where in 1961 he earned a bachelor of science degree in Engineering with a major in Public Affairs. Negroni was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force and was awarded his navigator wings. ^[2]

[edit] Military career

In 1962, he received his pilot wings after completing pilot training at Reese Air Force Base, in Texas. In 1964, the Air Force presented him with a scholarship to pursue a masters degree at the University of Puerto Rico. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Puerto Rico and earned a master of arts degree in Hispanic Studies. Negroni served as an Assistant Professor of Spanish in the Air Force Academy between the years 1967 to 1971. There he taught and directed all the Spanish courses. He also holds degrees from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Air War College.

F-4 - Type of aircraft flown by Negroni

Negroni participated in combat missions during the Vietnam War and accumulated a total of 750 combat hours. During his tour he served in the 553th Reconnaissance Squadron stationed in Korat, Thailand and as Chief of Combat Operation in the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron in Udon, Thailand. ^[2]

In 1973, he was assigned to the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, serving as an aircraft commander, flight commander, assistant operations officer, and wing chief of aircrew training. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1977 and became the Commander of the 3rd Mobile Aerial Port Squadron.

Cruz de Mérito Aeronáutico

In 1978, he was named the Chief of Liaison for the Joint United States Military Group in Spain. The Spanish Government presented Negroni with its highest Air Force peacetime award, the Aeronautical Merit Cross for his contributions to the successful implementation of the United States-Spain Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. ^[1]

In 1980, Negroni was reasigned to the Pentagon and in 1981 promoted to Colonel. Among the positions which he held in the Pentagon are the following:

Latin America Politico-Military Affairs Officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Vice Commander for the Air District of Washington at Bolling Air Force Base

Chief of the Policy and Management Division

Directorate of International Programs

Deputate of Programs and Resources at the Headquarters United States Air Force in the Pentagon

[edit] Later years

In October 1985, Negroni retired from the Air Force after 24 years of service. He then he joined the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. He was named Manager of the International Business Development for the Harpoon anti-ship missile program in the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company. In 1987 he was appointed Manager International Program Development for McDonnell Aircraft Company. In 1990 he was named Vice President Operations for McDonnell Douglas Spain Ltd., a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas Corporation.^[3]

On December of 1992, Negroni decided to become a private management consultant specializing in project, marketing, and proposal management. Other ventures in which he was successful in the implementation and development of new programs were the American Society of Mechanical Engineers where he acted as Eastern Regional Director; the Latin American Management Association as Executive Director and T.E. Systems, Inc. as Vice President of Business Development. ^[2]

In 1996, he joined AlliedSignal Aerospace Company as the General Manager for their Huntsville, Alabama Office. His responsibilities include marketing, sales and support activities with NASA's Marshall Space Center and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. He retired from the aerospace defense industry in 2000.^[4]

Negroni has also authored many articles which have been published in various U.S. and foreign journals. He is the author of "Historia Militar de Puerto Rico" (A Military History of Puerto Rico (the book)), was commissioned by Spain's Fifth Centennial Commission.^[5] His research of the Corsican-Puerto Rican connection has provided a wealth of information about the Puerto Rico's ties with Corsica. Among Negroni's works is "La Genealogía de Puerto Rico" (The Genealogy of Puerto Rico) which provides an indepth study of the Puerto Rican people, "The History of Yauco" and "The History of the Negroni Family".^[6] He is currently married to Joan Leah Blanco with he had two sons, Hector Emilio, a Managing Director in Goldman Sachs and Xavier Andres, a Managing Director in Bank of America. Negroni and his wife currently reside in Vienna, Virginia.