James Thomas Hannam
"Jim"
Biography as of Mar 26, 2013
JAMES T. HANNAM
Colonel, USAF (Ret), BS, MS, MBA
USAFA '63
James T Hannam, son of an Irish Immigrant, attended schools in Cleveland Ohio, graduating from Collinwood High School January 1959. While at Collinwood, Jim, volunteered in the Key Club service organization, played in the Marching Band and Orchestra, was selected to the National Honor Society, elected as Bank Comptroller and Senior Class Treasurer, and graduated as class salutatorian. He then attended Case Institute of Technology for one semester, while he applied for an appointment to the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs. He entered the AF Academy in June 1959 and served in the 7th Cadet Squadron for 2 years, then with the Wing expanding, moved to the 12th Cadet Squadron where he elected by his classmates to serve as Cadet Honor Representative. He graduated in June 1963 with a 2nd Lieutenant€™s commission, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Science, and moved to his first assignment, Pilot Training.
In 1964 Hannam graduated #3 in his pilot training class at Williams AFB, AZ, where he flew T-37 and T-38 jet aircraft. After attending AF survival school, he graduated from an 8 month F-105 Fighter Flying Training Course in the 4526 TFTS, at Nellis AFB, NV along with classmates Phil Tate and Randy Reynolds. He then transferred for the next 1Â years to the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), 49th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), Spangdahlem AB, Germany, flying training missions during the Cold War throughout Europe and North Africa and sitting 15 minute Nuclear Alert in the F-105. There he met his future wife, Maureen Moriarty, who was a DoDDS Schoolteacher.
With the Vietnam War heating up in 1967, Hannam was transferred to the 421st TFS, later renamed the 44th TFS, 388th TFW at Korat AB, Thailand and for the next 7 months flew 100 combat missions over North Vietnam, many against targets in Route Pak VI. Hannam was awarded 7 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 18 Air Medals and completed his combat tour in August 1967. After returning to the CONUS, he and Maureen were married in Hampden, MA. His next assignment was to the 561st TFS, 23rd TFW at McConnell AFB, Kansas where he was an F-105 Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner in Wing Stan-Eval and served with Classmates Lucky Ekman and Bill Ardern.
Selected for promotion to Major, he was next assigned in 1969 to attend Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, prior to joining the faculty at the USAF Academy. He graduated from Stanford with a Master of Science in Applied Mechanics in June 1970. For the next 3 years, as an Assistant Professor he taught cadets various Undergraduate and Graduate level Engineering Science courses in the classroom, flew as an Instructor Pilot teaching cadets to fly in T-41s, in Soaring courses flying sailplanes, and in T-33 jet trainers for cadet orientation and motivational rides. Numerous classmates were on the Mechanics Faculty to include Joe Cox, Fred Frostic, George Barnes, Roger Hegstrom, and Don Carey, Next, he attended the USMC Command and Staff College at Quantico, VA, one of two AF officers, graduating in June 1974. He then trained in F-4 Phantom II at Luke AFB, AZ prior to moving to the 4th TFS, 432nd TFW at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand as a Flight Commander. With the Vietnam war winding down, he flew F-4 training missions as an Instructor Pilot and on one combat support mission flown in support of the evacuation of Saigon on 30 April 1975.
He transferred to Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley AFB, Va and for the next 4 years was a Fighter Weapons Requirements Staff officer, Division Chief and flew T-39 Saberliner Operational Support Missions. While there he authored and staffed the AF requirement and operational concept for the Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) System, that when deployed to Europe during the Reagan Administration, ultimately resulted in the USSR agreeing to an Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and eliminated a whole class of nuclear weapons delivery systems. In 1979-80 he attended the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama and also earned an MBA from Auburn University. He then transferred to an assignment at AF Fighter and Weapons Requirements at Headquarters USAF in Washington DC and was selected for Colonel.
Beginning in 1982 he had a series of assignments and moves within Europe. He was assigned as Director of Operations, 406 Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Zaragoza AB, Spain for two years, flying the F-4 Phantom II, then the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and being responsible for operating the Bardenas Reales Gunnery Range for all US fighter aircraft in Europe. He then moved to USAF Europe (USAFE) Headquarters, Ramstein AB, Germany as USAFE Director of Inspection, directing a team of 100 inspectors, and evaluating Operational Readiness, Management Effectiveness, and NATO Tactical Evaluations to 15+ AF Units throughout Europe. In 1985 he was privileged to be selected as Commander, 40th Tactical Group, Aviano AB, Italy, located about 60 miles north of Venice and continued to fly the F-16. He commanded approximately 3000 USAF personnel at Aviano and 4 other Italian bases, and was responsible for the F-16 Nuclear Alert force at Aviano.
Hannam then moved back to Langley AFB, Virginia as Assistant, Deputy Chief of Staff, Requirements at Tactical Air Command, a General Officer position. In this position he was responsible for developing user requirements for new weapons systems and monitoring ongoing acquisition programs to ensure they met user requirements. He retired in July 1989 as a Colonel after 26 years of service and was awarded a second Legion of Merit decoration.
For the next 16 years Hannam worked for Texas Instruments, then Raytheon in Business Development as Director AF Programs and Director Mission Support Systems, retiring a second time in 2006. At the same time he volunteered with the Air Force Association, a 125,000 member non-profit, education organization dedicated to a strong National Defense through Aerospace Power. He has served as an AFA Chapter President, Region (VA, MD, DE, DC) President, and on the National Board of Directors. Currently he services as National Vice Chairman of the Aerospace Education Council.
Currently Hannam resides in Burke Virginia with Maureen, his wife of 45 years. They have three children: Dr Kristina Hannam, Associate Professor of Biology, SUNY Geneseo, NY; LtCmdr (select) (USCG) James J Hannam, a JayHawk Rescue Helicopter Instructor Pilot at Mobile CGS, AL; and Michael Hannam, a PhD candidate at the University of Washington