Lieutenant General
Donald M. Babers

Lt.Gen. Donald M. Babers was born on May 15, 1931 in Newkirk, New Mexico and graduated from Oklahoma A&M College in 1954.

He entered active duty at the Ordnance Basic Course, Aberdeen Proving Ground. He served in Vietnam from 1964-1965. During a second tour at the Tank-Automotive Command from 1975 through 1980, he completed assignments as Project Manager, M60 Tank Production, Director of Procurement and Production, Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Readiness Command, and finally, Project Manager for the XM1 Tank System Materiel Development and Research Command. In this latter capacity, his outstanding managerial abilities, honed at all levels of Ordnance Corps work, were significant factors in the successful completion of the XM1 development program.

In November 1982, General Babers succeeded Lt. Gen. Harold Hardin as Executive Director for Conventional Ammunition and Deputy Commanding General for Materiel Readiness at the U.S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command.

In his final assignment as Director of the Defense Logistics Agency from 1984 until 1986, General Babers was perceptive, energetic, and decisive in a position of unique responsibility for worldwide logistical support to the military services. Among his many accomplishments in this post were major contributions in quality assurance, establishment of the Defense Logistics Agency's first productivity plan, emphasis on productivity enhancement and cost monitoring, and assumption of management responsibility for the disposal of hazardous waste materials. He established an Office of Contracting Integrity which is unique within the Government.