AFRL leader receives Defense Distinguished Civilian Award

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  • By Capt. Greg Justice
  • 88 ABW Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Air Force Research Laboratory's Dr. William U. Borger has earned the elite Defense Distinguished Civilian Award. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Mr. Gordon England, presented the award to Dr. Borger Nov. 7, at a ceremony held at the Pentagon.

This award is the highest honor given by the Secretary of Defense to career civilian personnel. It is presented in an annual ceremony to a small number of DoD civilian employees whose service reflects exceptional devotion to duty and extremely significant contributions of broad scope to the efficiency, economy, or other improvements in the operation of the DoD.

Dr. Borger is the director of AFRL's Propulsion Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Through focused leadership, professionalism, and untiring devotion, Dr. Borger fostered crucial communications across the services in coordinating the nation's aeronautics science and technology program to assure maximum technology development for the nation's warfighters.

He led the Air Force science and technology participation during the Joint Base Realignment and Closure process in 2005 by coordinating Air Force needs with the other services. He is now leading the development of alternative jet fuels and high efficiency engines to address the DoD's $10 billion annual fuel costs. In addition, Dr. Borger is leading a team to develop key turbine engine, scramjet engine, and rocket propulsion technologies, along with power technology for directed energy weapons. These propulsion and power advancements are considered vital to assuring the United States' air supremacy for decades to come.

"I have been very lucky to have worked alongside of some of the brightest and most dedicated people in my 36 years of working for the Air Force," said Dr. Borger in response to the award. "The folks here at Wright-Patterson are clearly defining the future of the next Air Force and the Air Forces after that."