In 1972 he left MEC and was selected as the Test & Evaluation Engineer (GM-13) for the Naval Sea Systems Command Technical Representative (AEGIS) Office in Pomona where he was involved in design, development, and test activities for the Standard Missile Two (SM-2) Program, the AEGIS primary weapon.  Upon the urging of his supervisor, Mr. William VanDusen, he ventured into innovation again in 1973, collaborating with Dr. John Clymer at the Fleet Analysis Center in Corona to develop a new concept for closed-loop field testing of guided missiles, delivering a paper on this subject at the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1974.  Closed-loop testing provided a viable method for simulating the missile threat environment in the laboratory and exercising performance over its full dynamic range, thereby greatly reducing the need for extensive live missile firings to measure the performance envelope.  Dr. Werner Koch at General Dynamics Pomona assisted in the final codification of the closed-loop test concept and co-authored the publication “Closed Loop Testing” in the April 1981 edition of National Defense.  Despite extensive opposition from the field test community, Richard and Dr. Clymer succeeded in convincing the Navy Quality Assurance Office in Washington to fund the development of a $2 million closed-loop test facility at the Quality Evaluation Center, Naval Weapon Station, Seal Beach.  This facility was later moved to NSMSES, Port Hueneme.  While serving with the Naval Reserve in Point Mugu and at the Miramar Naval Air Station from 1972 through 1982 he achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Two and participated in various electronic countermeasures (ECM) threat studies and continued to promote the concept of closed-loop testing of guided missiles.

     Continuing his academic studies, Richard finally graduated from California State University in 1976, leaving government service again in 1983 with lucrative offers from private industry and serving in various advanced design positions at Northrop, Rockwell, and McDonnell Douglas.  He was engaged for several years in threat assessment, missile profile analysis, and preliminary design of the avionics suites for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) both at Northrop and Rockwell.  He also pioneered in preliminary design of an “all-electric” version of the ATF which utilized gearless electrical generators and electro-mechanical actuators in lieu of the traditional generators and hydraulic control devices.  At McDonnell Douglas (MD), Long Beach, he was assigned to the Derivative Missions Program Office, wrote the system specifications for the communication system on the MD version of the Presidential Plane, and participated in preliminary design of the infrared system for the C-17.  He later returned to the Northop B-2 Division in 1987 where he participated in armament and mission avionics systems design.

     In 1988 the aerospace bubble burst and Richard returned to the stable world of government service again with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) where he performed functions in configuration management, reliability/maintainability, safety of flight, and low observables (LO) involving all versions of the F-18 Aircraft.  In October 2000 he volunteered for the B-2 Program in Palmdale where he re-established weekly video conference dialogue with the B-2 Systems Program Office in Dayton and served as the B-2 Program Integrator from August 2002 through February 2003.  He also served as a Systems Engineer engaged in a variety of surveillance activities involving various B-2 Program enhancements, LO performance, and Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) activities.  In March 2004 he was reassigned back to the F-18 Program Support Team in El Segundo where he was primarily responsible for engineering surveillance of the Northrop Grumman workshare on the new EA-18G Growler variant designed to replace the EA-6 Prowler and technical evaluation of cost proposals and surveillance of F-5/T-38/F-18 engineering efforts.  In May 2009 he was transferred to the F-35 Program Support Team where he was engaged in various engineering surveillance activities. His final assignment in November 2012 was to the Program Support Team having cognizance over the Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Program where he had similar engineering surveillance responsibilities in a partnership association with Lockheed, Northrop, and Air Force engineers. While with the DCMA Richard received a total of $8,788 in awards, the largest of which was an Outstanding Performance Award in 2001 for his service on the B-2 Program. On October 1, 2014, Richard retired from government service with over 52 years of Federal service from various military agencies.

     As a private endeavor he ventured into innovation in electro-optical camouflage in 1987 and in 1993 launched Project Chameleo, together with his associate, Dr. Felix Schweizer, formerly the laser/optical expert with the MEC in Pomona.  He co-authored the article Project Chameleo – Cloaking Using Electro-Optical Camouflage- Presentation , with Dr. Schweizer and delivered the paper during the High Leverage Technologies Session of FIESTACROW 93, sponsored by the Association of Old Crows and the Air Force Joint Electronic Warfare Center in San Antonio.  He  secured Patent No. 5,307,162 entitled Cloaking Using Optoelectronically Controlled Camouflage on April 26, 1994.  Later on he teamed up with an associate in Hemet, Dr. Lev Berger, and performed some tests and simulations involving Project Chameleo technology and culminating in the presentation of a paper at the American Physical Society Centennial in Atlanta on March 23, 1999.  You can download this Microsoft PowerPoint file, Physical Aspects of Electro-Optical Camouflage , as well as read all about this historic meeting at  APS Centennial (Direct Link to the Abstract).  In February 2005 he presented a paper entitled “Innovations in Electro-Optical Camouflage – PROJECT CHAMELEO” at a Military Sensing Symposium at SPAWAR, Charleston,S.C.  In March 2005 he presented a similar paper to officials of the U.S. Navy in Orange County and received a complimentary letter from the Director, Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, Admiral James R. Hogg (Retired) CNO SSG LTR.gif.  Following an interview with Robert Guffey, Professor at California State University, Long Beach, the article “To See The Invisible Man” in March 2007 documented some important aspects of Project Chameleo and in March 2015 Robert published the book, Chameleo, a documentary covering these events in a more complete manner.  Throughout his career Richard has manifested an extraordinary conceptual vision beyond the times coupled with daring and determination to persevere despite strong opposition.  He is convinced that physical invisibility concepts have various practical applications in military, law enforcement, industrial security, industrial and workforce environmental enhancement, and facility emissions control.

     In addition to his technical achievements Richard is active in family, fraternal, and professional activities. He is a 33rd degree Mason and served for four years as Director of the Work in the Long Beach Valley, Ancient and accepted Scottish Rite. He is also an actor in various degrees of the Long Beach Bodies, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite; Past Master of Mar Vista Lodge (now merged with Newport Mesa Lodge No. 604 F&AM), Past President of the Santa Ana/El Toro Chapter No. 250 and Past Commander of Col. William Biehl Jr. Camp, National Sojourners, in Santa Ana; Past Commander, Knights Templar Commandery No. 51; and Past Patron of Harbor Star, Order of the Eastern Star. In addition he is a member of El Bekal Shrine in Anaheim, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; Royal Order of Scotland and Association of Robert The Bruce; and a member of the Royal Arch Masons and Cryptic Masons.  His professional memberships include the Association of Old Crows, the World Premier Electronic Warfare society; and the National Defense Industrial Association, America’s leading Defense Industry association promoting national security.  His hobbies consist primarily of reading, writing, acting, and investigations of alternative historical theories.