The memoir "As Usual, the Guardian was Perfect in All Respects" is the first book, Book 1, in the trilogy, A Full Lifetime Career of Seeking Perfection Driven by Family and Mentors. The trilogy is a tale of three careers of the author's military achievement, engineering accomplishment, and academic leadership. It strives for perfection through athletic and career advancement while it supports, follows, and documents the changes in U.S. warfare, technology development, and academic transition in a changing world. It will also try and set the record straight for these changes based on my three careers. It begins with changes in the U.S. military as it transitions from the Cold War in Europe to the strategic mobility and nation-building efforts of the Vietnam War.
Book 2, "Development of Next Generation of Army Aviation Systems", documents and provides for the growth of air mobility through technology development over the next decade. It also attempts to set the record straight on why the development of Army Aviation systems has been so difficult.
Book 3, "Technology for Affordability through Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD)," chronicles where these technology advancements are brought into an academic environment with innovative methods for education transfer to both the civilian and military students and industry. The use of IPPD for developing and demonstrating autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is also presented. This setting also brings to life the changes in education at Georgia Tech with a graduate program in Aerospace Systems Design. Also, IPPD is used in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) training programs for high school students with NASA and industry support. It also includes assistance for the United States Military Academy (USMA) in transitioning from a general engineering degree to adoption of major engineering degrees, e.g., electrical, mechanical, and systems. How Georgia Tech graduate education and professional development programs help industry and government with the transition to Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD), as they respond to worldwide competition and the Japanese Total Quality success is provided.
These three books are connected by a "Why" which focuses on a strive for perfection. They also follow a growing Schrage Family with numerous relocations during the early years while striving for stability during later years. They will also try and set the record straight for each career by answering the following questions:
First Career, Book #1: Why Winning the Vietnam War was not successful
Second Career, Book #2: Why is it so difficult for the Army to develop New Aircraft
Third Career, Book #3: Why is it so hard for Academia to develop new Curriculum
Dr. Daniel P. Schrage grew up in the Midwest as the son of two teachers and graduated from USMA West Point in 1967. He has advanced degrees in Aerospace Engineering (AE), MS Georgia Tech, 1974; Business Administration, Webster College. 1975; and a DSc. Mechanical Engineering (ME), Washington U. (St. Louis) in 1978. Dr. Schrage has had three careers and excelled in each. In his first career, he commanded an Honest John Nuclear Missile Battery during the Cold War in Europe, 1968-69. He was an Army Aviation Air Mission Commander in South Vietnam and commanded lift ship and gunship platoons. He then served as the S-3 13th Combat Aviation Battalion and ran all operations in the Mekong Delta. He orchestrated the transfer of the first Army Aviation Airfield, Soc Trang, to the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) under the Helicopter Vietnamization Program, 1970-71. In his second career, he was an Aerospace Engineer, Manager, and Senior Executive for Army Aviation Development, 1974-78. He led the technical development of the next generation of Army Aviation Systems as the youngest Senior Executive Servant (SES) in the Army Material Command (AMC). In his third career, he was a Full Professor and Director of Research for the Army Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE) at Georgia Tech. He retired as a Professor Emeritus. His careers followed and documented the changes in U.S. warfare, technology development, and academic transition in a changing world. He is a Technical Fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Vertical Flight Society. Dr. Schrage and his wife reside in Atlanta, GA. You can find more information about the author and his books on his website at DanielSchrage.com.
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