Deputy USAF Acquisition Chief Riechers Dead In Apparent Suicide

Charles D. Riechers, principal deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition and management, was found dead in his home Oct. 14, apparently of a suicide, Aerospace Daily has learned.

Reicher was a retired Air Force officer and master navigator specializing in electronic warfare, with 20 years of operational, acquisition and staff experience. He flew more than 1,900 flight hours, with 90 hours of combat and combat support time in B-52G and EC-130H aircraft. He started his current position in January.

The Washington Post reported Oct. 1 that while waiting to be confirmed by the White House, Riechers took a job -- arranged by the Air Force -- for an intelligence contractor that required him to do no work for the company.

For two months, the paper reported, Riechers held the title of senior technical adviser and received about $13,400 a month at Commonwealth Research Institute, or CRI, a nonprofit firm in Johnstown, Pa. But during that time he actually worked for Sue Payton, assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition, on projects that had nothing to do with CRI, he told the paper.

The Air Force disputes the Post's portrayal of Riechers' role, and told Aerospace Daily, "During his two-month employment with CRI, Mr.