Despite the daily tangible contributions of National Guardsmen and Reservists to the US military, there is still the danger that tough economic times and scarce resources may drive some elements within the Defense Department toward funding the Reserve Components as if they were a second-tier fighting force, warned Lt. Gen. Bud Wyatt, Air National Guard director, Tuesday. Speaking at the Reserve Officers Association’s national convention in Washington, D.C., Wyatt said such detrimental “old paradigm” thinking may have been acceptable in the days of the Cold War, but “will no longer serve the best interests of this country,” since today, the reserves are seamlessly integrated into everything that the military does. Shortchange the Reserve Components and one has essentially shot oneself in the foot. Instead, Wyatt called for ensuring that the reserve force’s value is well understood and it is resourced consistent with that.
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.
