Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering III, who stepped down as director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in November, has joined the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance advisory board, the group announced.

Obering is the third agency director to join the board, according to the group.

During his four years as director, Obering oversaw more than 100 missile tests that included 17 missile defense intercepts.

As well, he led the agency in deploying 25 Ground-based Midcourse Defense interceptors in Alaska and California, and ordering the missile defense system on operational full alert for the first time during the July 4, 2006, North Korean missile tests. (Please see story about the next potential North Korean long-range missile test in this issue.)

He also was director during the Feb. 21 successful shoot down of an errant satellite containing toxic hydrazine propellant using a Standard Missile fired from an Aegis ship.

Obering becomes the third MDA director named to the board. He joins retired Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish, who led the agency from 1999 to 2004, and retired Gen. Lester Lyles, who was director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization from 1996 through 1999.

President Obama’s space policy team is vetting Lyles for possible nomination as NASA administrator. If named to the post, Lyles would succeed former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, who left the agency Jan. 20 as Obama took office.