Doug Roach, a longtime House Armed Services Committee (HASC) staffer who kept weapons-program officials on their toes, died last Friday in Washington. He was 70.
Roach, the staff lead for the HASC’s Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee and a retired Air Force colonel, was a keen overseer of large Pentagon weapons programs who was well-known in defense and media circles. In recent years he devoted considerable energy to the debate over whether to keep the Pentagon’s now-canceled alternate-engine program for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Colleagues dubbed Roach an institution on the HASC, describing him as dogged and straight-shooting while also noble and selfless.
“He trained and mentored just about every person who has worked on HASC doing program oversight for the past 20 years,” said Doug Bush, a professional staff member on the HASC. “His style of oversight was a model. He focused on hard facts, not politics or personalities, which so often dominate debates in the Pentagon and in Congress.”
Roach died from complications related to cancer at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, HASC spokesman Claude Chafin said. Though Roach had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment, he worked nearly until the end. He was on Capitol Hill just last Wednesday, surprised aides said.
HASC Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) called Roach “a selfless servant and true hero” who worked well across the aisle with Republicans and Democrats.
“My colleagues and I had come to rely on Doug’s council and guidance on a variety of issues and he always gave it to us straight, without regard to politics or parochial interests,” McKeon said. “He was a man of noble virtue, a tough fighter pilot who was also known for his acts of kindness.”
HASC Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) described Roach as a war hero, dedicated public servant, selfless man, and friend.
“Throughout my time on the House Armed Services Committee, I have relied on Doug for his knowledge and expertise,” Smith said. “He cannot be replaced and he will be deeply missed.”
Roach left his mark on many weapons programs.
He “quietly saved American taxpayers billions over the years through his efforts to stop misguided programs or reshape ones that were failing,” Bush said.
And since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks he helped ensure troops had the “best equipment possible,” including better body armor and armored vehicles, said Erin Conaton, a former HASC staff director and undersecretary of the Air Force.
“He brought great analytical skill and cost-consciousness to oversight of many procurement programs–from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, to the Army’s plans for future tactical vehicles, to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities,” Conaton said.
In the Air Force Roach flew 516 combat missions as aircraft commander and was an instructor pilot during the Vietnam War. His varied military duties also included working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s legislative affairs office, according to the HASC.
Roach was a professional staff member for the HASC from 1991 to 1997, and then since 2001 was the main staffer on the Tactical Air panel.
Roach earned a master’s degree in national-security studies from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. He is survived by his brother, Jarmin.