Highmark Companies

Former Principal Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

Frederick Pang grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii and graduated from President William McKinley High School in 1954. He graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1958 with a Bachelors Degree in Education.

Upon graduating, Mr. Pang joined the United States Air Force and served in the Air Force until 1986, ultimately attaining the rank of colonel. During his time in the Air Force, he completed tours of duty in Vietnam, at Headquarters United States Air Force, and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he served as Director of Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management and later as Director of Compensation. During his time in the Air Force, Mr. Pang participated in the Air Force Institute of Technology Civilian Institutions Scholarship Program, earning an M.B.A. from the University of Hawaii in 1972.

In 1986, Mr. Pang retired from the Air Force and joined the professional staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. There his work focused on the committee’s oversight of Defense-wide personnel, reserve, and medical programs. While a member of the committee’s staff, Mr. Pang completed the National and International Security Program at Harvard University in 1988.

In 1993, President of the United States Bill Clinton appointed Mr. Pang as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) and he held this office from November 1993 until October 1994. In this office, he oversaw the United States Department of the Navy’s personnel, reserve, and medical programs for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.

Upon leaving this post, Mr. Pang was named Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy. As Assistant Secretary he acted on matters pertaining to military and civilian manpower and personnel in the Department of Defense. In this position Mr. Pang had Defense-wide policy responsibility for the recruitment, training, career development, compensation, retention, quality of life, equal opportunity, and readiness of Defense personnel. Mr. Pang was also designated Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

Mr. Pang left government service in 1997, founding a consulting firm, Fred Pang Associates, later renamed ViStar. In this capacity, he provided professional and technical services to the United States Department of Defense and other federal government agencies. In 2005, ViStar was acquired by Veritas Capital Partners and integrated into McNeil Technologies.