BG Grayson D. Tate, Jr.
BG Grayson D. Tate, Jr., was born on 15 January 1929 in Mickey, Texas. He graduated from the U.S. Army Military Academy in 1950. He also earned bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. In addition, General Tate graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
General Tate had several assignments with field artillery missile systems and research and development organizations. In 1952, he was an Operations Officer assigned to the Engineer/User Test Unit, CORPORAL Missile, at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. In 1954, General Tate was a battery commander in the Army's first missile battalion (CORPORAL) at Fort Bliss, Texas.
During his first tour at Redstone Arsenal, which covered from 1958 to 1961, General Tate served as Chief, Technical Intelligence Division and later Chief, Research Plans Division in Headquarters, U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command, the predecessor organization to the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM). Subsequent assignments for General Tate included Deputy Commander for Operations, 9th Field Artillery Missile Group, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, 38th Artillery (SERGEANT), Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Chief, NIKE-X and Space Division, Office, Chief of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.; Chief, NIKE-X Branch, Office, Chief of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.; Special Assistant for Missiles, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research and Development), Washington, D.C.; and Commanding Officer, 4th United States Army Missile Command, Korea.
During his first tour at Redstone Arsenal, which covered from 1958 to 1961, General Tate served as Chief, Technical Intelligence Division and later Chief, Research Plans Division in Headquarters, U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command, the predecessor organization to the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM). Subsequent assignments for General Tate included Deputy Commander for Operations, 9th Field Artillery Missile Group, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, 38th Artillery (SERGEANT), Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Chief, NIKE-X and Space Division, Office, Chief of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.; Chief, NIKE-X Branch, Office, Chief of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.; Special Assistant for Missiles, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Research and Development), Washington, D.C.; and Commanding Officer, 4th United States Army Missile Command, Korea.
In April 1974, General Tate returned to Redstone Arsenal as Project Manager for MICOM's LANCE missile system. He became Deputy Commander of MICOM on 1 October 1975 and served in that position until 31 January 1977. On that date, the missions and people of MICOM were split between the U.S. Army Missile Materiel Readiness Command and the U.S. Army Missile Research and Development Command (MIRADCOM), and BG Tate became the first Commander of MIRADCOM. He held that position until 15 July 1977.
General Tate's medals and awards included, among others, the Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Order of National Security Merit (Sam-IL) Medal -Korea, and the General Staff Identification Badge.