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Fighterland USA
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How St. Louis Missouri became the centre of America’s next generation of air power For much of the past decade, the future of fighter production in St. Louis and the surrounding region looked less secure than its history might have suggested. The city had built some of the most important combat aircraft in American…
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At McConnell, the Future of Airpower Is Being Built One Problem at a Time
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There is something fitting about finding the future of American airpower in Wichita, Kansas. For more than a century, this city has called itself the Air Capital of the World. Aircraft have been designed, manufactured, tested and maintained here through successive generations of aviation. Today, at McConnell Air Force Base and across the extraordinary…
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Dyess AFB: The Quiet Machinery of American Power
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Military power is often measured in aircraft, weapons and numbers. A visit to Dyess Air Force Base suggests a more complicated equation. Dyess is America’s only “lift and strike” base, home to the 317th Airlift Wing and its C-130Js alongside the 7th Bomb Wing and its B-1 bombers. It is, in that sense, a…
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USAF Air Mobility Command: The Right Leadership at the Right Time
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There are moments when military ceremony can feel like history made visible. This morning at Scott Air Force Base was one of them. I had the privilege of attending the Air Mobility Command Assumption of Command ceremony as Gen. Daniel Tulley took command of AMC. It was an impressive morning filled with the traditions…
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Britain’s Next Jet Trainer Could Strengthen Missouri’s Place in Allied Air Power
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I recently had the privilege of writing an opinion piece for the St. Louis Business Journal about an opportunity that sits at the intersection of two subjects that are especially important to me: the growing relationship between Missouri and the United Kingdom, and St. Louis’ extraordinary role in military aviation. Britain is preparing for…
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Missouri’s New Eagle: Why the F-15E Mission at Whiteman Strengthens America’s Defense
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For decades, Missouri has quietly played one of the most important roles in America’s national defense. While much of the attention often focuses on our state’s manufacturing heritage or its location in the center of the country, Missouri has become something even more significant: one of the United States’ indispensable defense states. Yesterday’s announcement…
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Oshkosh: Where the Spirit of Aviation Comes Alive
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There are air shows—and then there is EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. I recently had the privilege of attending the 2026 gathering with the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, fellow representatives of the British Government and British military, and fellow leaders of the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo. It was an extraordinary…
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Britain’s New Defence Budget Is a Welcome Step Toward a More Capable NATO
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The United Kingdom’s new Defence Investment Plan arrives at a serious moment for Britain, NATO and the wider democratic world. War in Europe, instability in the Middle East, rising cyber threats and the rapid evolution of drone warfare have all made one point unmistakably clear: deterrence must be credible, modern and properly funded. For…
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The People Who Carry the Mission Should Come First
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We often say that our service members are our greatest military asset. It is a statement repeated at ceremonies, in congressional hearings and throughout speeches about national defense. But words of appreciation are easy. Budgets reveal our actual priorities. That is why the Senate Armed Services Committee’s decision to replace proposed targeted pay raises…
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More Than An Air Show…
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It is difficult to explain what the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo means to me without first talking about the kids. You see it in their faces when the first aircraft roars overhead. You see it when they meet a pilot, climb inside an aircraft or discover something new in…