Major General (Ret.) Edward “Ed” M. Browne was born during the depression in New York City and was drafted into the Army in 1950 as a high school graduate early in the Korean War.

In 1952, he became an Officer Candidate School (OCS) Transportation aviation officer and learned more about aviation maintenance and logistics in each successive assignment. Due to his 20 years of experience, he was selected as the program manager charged with the Advanced Attack Helicopter program during the competitive fly off in April 1976. The result would be the Army’s premier attack helicopter, the AH-64 Apache.

Overcoming everything from the replacement of the entire industry leadership team, to managing leading edge technology, he directly took charge and implemented radical change to include the establishment of a subordinate product manager for the target acquisition and night vision system. In the words of MG Carl H. McNair, U.S. Army Retired, the first Army Aviation Branch Chief, “The Army Team today would not and could not be what it is without the Apache and Ed Browne who ‘pushed and pulled’ it through the critical milestones of development, source selection, acquisition and fielding across the globe.”

Generations of Army Aviators and troops on the ground owe MG (Ret.) Edward M. Browne a great debt of gratitude. Simply put, Ed Browne took a troubled program and made the Apache a national asset which has enabled our Army Aviators to deliver devastating effects in multiple conflicts, and to deter aggression around the world for decades.