General Smith Goes to Norfolk: USAF Gen. Lance L. Smith, a top fighter pilot who flew combat missions in Vietnam and Iraq, has assumed command of US Joint Forces Command and NATO’s Allied Command-Transformation, both headquartered in Norfolk, Va. (DR, 10/21/05) Smith had been deputy commander of US Central Command, playing a big role in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Smith replaces Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., now Vice JCS Chairman. Smith flew A-1s in Vietnam and F-15s in Iraq. He commanded two fighter wings and led two AEF deployments to the Gulf.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.