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Joseph Lee "Joe" Sites was born in Gladstone, Virginia on 18 February 1929 and was appointed to West Point from the 7th Congressional District.

His West Point classmates recall: "From the hills of Virginia, Sites came to the `Point.' With a year of college and a year of work, he found West Point, as many have, different. Always a file-boner, he was fortunate at the end of plebe year, he had many to bone. While busying himself with academics, teaching Sunday School, etc. the years whizzed past and now Joe descends from the hills of West Point to where, GHQ only knows."

During his cadet days Joe was a Sunday School Teacher and with the Camera Club yearling, cow, and first class years; with the Dialectic Society, the Pointer staff and the Radio Club yearling year; with the Spanish Club cow year, and was a Cadet Sergeant his first class year.

Upon graduation, Joe went into the Artillery and after completing the Basic Artillery Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma served in battery officer positions including Battery Commander with the 547th Armored Field Artillery at Camp Carson, Colorado. From Camp Carson, he went to Korea and served as a Sound Ranging Platoon Leader with the 1st Field Artillery Observation Battalion. Joe's next assignment was Assistant Operations Officer, XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery. During the period January 1954 -June 1956, Joe was with the 77th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, Los Angeles, CA. In that assignment, he was Battery Commander of "B" Battery, Baldwin Hills, then "A" Battery, Manhattan Beach and finally Battalion S-1. After his Anti-Aircraft assignment, Joe returned to the Field Artillery to attend the Advanced Course at Fort Sill. On graduation from the advanced course, Joe was assigned to the 546 FA Battalion, (Fort Lewis, Washington then Babenhausen Germany). In the 546th, which became the 2/5th Joe served as an operations officer and Battery Commander.

His next assignment was Operations Officer 36th FA Group. On completion of that tour, he returned to the Command and General Staff College from which he graduated in 1961. He then attended the University of Southern California to study Missile Engineering.

On graduation from Southern Cal, he received the first of several assignments to the Pentagon, in his tour there 1963-1966; he was the first military officer to be the Space Intelligence Officer in the Scientific and Technical Division of OACSI. In this position, he led a study, which resulted in permitting the U.S. to get a lead in an important missile technology. He also was assigned to the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Temporary Duty to study the feasibility of the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft (AMSA). (AMSA became the B-1 Bomber). He also played an active role in the study on how to defeat the Soviet SA-3 missile. In 1966, Joe was assigned to the Navy Language School, Anacostia, Washington D.C. to study Italian. On completion, he entered the Senior Course of the Italian War College, Civitavecchia, Italy. While there, he was nominated for and received an audience and bronze medal award from Pope Paul VI. graduation from the Italian War College, Joe served as an Operations Officer in Headquarters, Allied Land Forces Southern Europe, Verona, Italy where he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal. From Italy Joe was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in Viet Nam. During his tour with the 101st, Joe was the Division Fire Support Coordinator, Battalion Commander of the 2/11 FA Battalion, Division Artillery Executive Officer and Temporary Division Artillery Commander. For his service in Viet Nam, Joe received two bronze stars, (one for valor), Legion of Merit, seven Air Medals and his second Army Commendation Medal. After his tour in Viet Nam Joe served on the staff of the National War College for one year, then became a student for one year, graduating in 1972. While at the National War College Joe earned a Master of Science degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. Joe's next assignment was to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs. His duties there included participation in negotiations on Chemical and Biological warfare treaties. He was next assigned to the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Communications. In 1974, he went back to Office Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence where he served as the Director of Foreign Liaison. For this service, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. From 1976 to 1979, Joe served as the U.S. Army Europe Liaison Officer for German Affairs with the United States Embassy in Bonn. His primary duties in Bonn consisted of participation in negotiations on land use and Status of Forces Agreements. For this service, he was awarded his second Legion of Merit. Joe's last military assignment was Leader of the Futures Group, Strategic Studies Institute, where he also served on the faculty of the Army War College. For this service, he received his third Legion of Merit.

On retirement from the Army after thirty years of service, Joe began his civilian career. After working as a consultant for several companies, he was hired by the BDM Corporation and worked as a Project Manager and Technical Director. On retiring from BDM, Joe was hired by McLean Research at the Chief Scientist level. In 1988, three former colleagues and Joe incorporated BRTRC where he became Vice President/ Director for Defense Systems. Joe and his wife Lee make their home in Fairfax, Virginia.

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