Retired Gen. Larry Welch, former Air Force Chief of Staff, was expected to brief Air Force Secretary Michael Donley Wednesday on the study that Welch has done regarding options for future space launch, including a potential way forward for the evolved expendable launch vehicle program. “He’ll bring in some ideas on how we can further stabilize our planning and acquisition of space launch vehicles,” Donley said during a speech on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Saying he was reluctant to steal Welch’s thunder by revealing “pre-brief” details, Donley would only hint that “recommendations for how to do that might involve bigger builds” of rockets.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
