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Innovators And Leaders

Brig. Gen. Rutledge P. Hazzard, U.S. Army

Retired Army Brig. Gen. Rutledge P. “Hap” Hazzard brought the computer age to the National Photographic Interpretation Center with state-of-the-art tools and modern equipment during a time of great change in technical imagery collection. As director of NPIC, a heritage organization of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, he brought to the job superb leadership capabilities, a reserve of enormous energy, an unrivalled expertise in the analysis of foreign missile systems and an attitude that took every challenge in stride.

A 1946 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Hazzard spent 27 years of active duty the U.S. Army serving in Germany, Korea and Vietnam. After retiring from active duty in 1973, Hazzard joined the Central Intelligence Agency as its director of Science and Technology. From June 1978 to February 1984, he served as the NPIC’s director. He retired from public service in 1985.

During his military service, Hazzard received the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, and other awards. After his military service he earned a Distinguished Service Medal from the CIA, a National Intelligence Service Medal, and the CIA Distinguished Intelligence Medal. He was inducted into the NGA Hall of Fame in 2002.

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