Michael Gill will assume the position of executive director of Air Force Materiel Command on June 28, replacing Steve Butler, who had served in the position since September 2008. As the command’s senior civilian, Gill will be a direct advisor to AFMC Commander Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger. “Helping to ensure we continue to provide vital support to our customers and warfighters will be at the forefront of all our efforts,” Gill said in a June 25 release. In his role, he also will assist in the development of the civilian workforce, which makes up more than 70 percent of the command. “Sequestration and furloughs will create a great deal of stress on our workforce and it will be important for us to help them weather the storm by being good wingmen,” he said. Gill previously served as the executive director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. (AFMC report by Monica D. Morales) (See also AFMC’s Senior Civilian Stepping Down)
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.
