Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne issued a new “Letter to Airmen” this week, offering his “thoughts” as part of an “ongoing process” to focus on USAF’s core values. On “Integrity First,” he writes, “We build and strengthen our character through the daily exercise of words, actions, and decisions.” Wynne believes that “Service Before Self” means airmen must make above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty “the rule” of their service “not the exception.” He suggests that “Excellence in All We Do” implies that airmen must live up to the Air Force heritage. And, finally, he enjoins airmen to “maintain the moral high ground.”
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
