Helen L. Townsend

Of Springfield, on October 9, at the age of 66. Beloved wife of over 41 years to Willie B. Townsend; also survived by sisters Isabel Moore and Zorina Moore. Helen was born January 21, 1949, in Queensborough, Long Island, New York, and graduated from Plainfield High School in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1966.

She entered the Air Force in 1971 after earning a commission through Officer Training School (OTS). Colonel Townsend received a BS in Secondary Education, English in 1971 from State University of New York at New Paltz, NY, and an MS in Human Resource Management in 1981 from Central Michigan University. She was a member of the Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax Station, VA, and the AAUW.

Colonel Townsend had a long and distinguished career as a logistics program manager for a number of critical Department of Defense programs including the Strategic Air Command Digital Network and the Consolidated Space Operations Center. She was also a principal logistics planner supporting the National Guard Bureau and the Ballistic Missile Defense Office.

In her final posting Colonel Townsend was the Deputy Director of the Air Combat System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. She led management teams in planning, developing, and fielding logistically supportable systems. She managed development systems, managers' and staff personnel appraisal process for the functional home office, including managing personnel resource allocations for all program managers, logisticians, and security assistants. She directed the strategic training planning process for the entire program office, ensuring that individual training and professional development plans support and enhance organizational goals and objectives. She also directed efforts to incorporate DOD-directed acquisition logistics and sustainment initiatives into the System Program Office (SPO).

Throughout her decorated career she has received the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)), the Air Force Commendation Medal (with 3 OLC), and others.