Want to Reset the Air Force? Lessons from the Reagan Build-Up — Ep. 289
Want to Reset the Air Force? Lessons from the Reagan Build-Up — Ep. 289  
Podcast: The Aerospace Advantage
Published On: Sat May 09 2026
Description: Episode Summary: President Trump's defense spending boost presents major opportunities for the Air Force. However, many officials have spent their entire careers living through extended periods of austerity—with budget toplines driving decisions, not what they really need to meet requirements. Switching gears to grow the force involves a different mindset to address different challenges and maximize opportunities. That’s what we discuss today: how do we grow the Air Force? We are joined by two legends of airpower for this conversation: Gen. Ron Fogleman, USAF (Ret.), the 15th Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Gen. Mike Loh, USAF (Ret.), who served as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force and later as the first commander of Air Combat Command. They both spent time in key plans and program assignments during the Reagan-era build up, the last time the Air Force saw a surge of investment. Credits: Host: Heather "Lucky" Penney, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Producer: Shane Thin Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey Guest: Gen. John Michael Loh, USAF (Ret.), Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force & Commander, Air Combat Command Guest: Gen. Ron Fogleman, USAF (Ret.), Former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, #15 Guest: John "JV" Venable, Senior Fellow for Airpower Studies, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Links: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3GbA5Of Website: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchellStudies Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mitchell.Institute.Aerospace LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nzBisb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellstudies/ #MitchellStudies #AerospaceAdvantage #history #airpower #veterans