The Air Force has assured Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that it will not eliminate the two-star general positions at the head of the service’s three air logistics centers—one each in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Utah. Apparently word got out that the service was considering such a move, prompting Hatch to let service leaders know of his “great trepidation” over the plan. Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, has said that the service wants to reduce by around 30 the number of general officers it has as it trims some 40,000 personnel over the next five years. Starting with the ALCs—watched over by the powerful depot caucus—may not have been the best idea.
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.

