The commander of US European Command told lawmakers that cutting personnel by more than a third—from 114,000 troops to 71,000—will not hamper EUCOM’s capability. Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones said that the 71,000 will be “better positioned, better capable, and better organized to do the things we need to do” in Europe and Africa. Testifying at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jones went on to say that he was concerned about having the right number of soldiers to maintain three Army brigades, but he believes the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps numbers are “fine.”
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.
