Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) will be the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee when the 112th Congress convenes in January, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), outgoing committee chairman, announced last week. Smith has overseen the HASC air and land forces subcommittee during the 111th Congress. He moves into the top minority spot since several of the longest-serving Democrat committee members, like Skelton, Rep. John Spratt (S.C.), and Rep. Gene Taylor (Miss.), aren’t returning after losing their re-lection bids. In related news, HASC Chairman-elect Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) announced the names of the new Republican committee members for the 112th: Rep. Mo Brooks (Ala.), Rep. Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Rep. Tim Griffin (Ark.), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (Mo.), Rep. Steve Palazzo (Miss.), Rep. Scott Rigell (Va.), Rep. Martha Roby (Ala.), Rep. Jon Runyan (N.J.), Rep. Bobby Schilling (Ill.), Rep. Austin Scott (Ga.), Allen West (Fla.), and Todd Young (Ind.).
Fly, Fix, Defend: Wilsbach Aims for a Readier Air Force
July 31, 2026
When Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach became Chief of Staff of the Air Force in November 2025, he coined a simple motto: “Fly and Fix”—so you can fight if necessary. In the nine months since, Airmen have been flying, fixing, and fighting—a lot.