As SECAF, he was responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its nearly 370,000 men and women on active duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians and their families. As head of the Department of the Air Force, Secretary Roche was responsible for its functioning and efficiency, the formulation of its policies and programs, and the timely implementation of decisions and instructions of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. With an annual budget of approximately $90 billion, he ensures the Air Force can meet its current and future operational requirements.
Secretary Roche’s previous military service spanned 23 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain in 1983. As a naval officer, his assignments included Principal Deputy Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff; Senior Professional Staff Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; and Assistant Director for the Defense Department’s Office of Net Assessment. He commanded the USS Buchanan, a guided missile destroyer, and was awarded the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for the Navy’s most improved combat unit in the Pacific in 1974.