Defense industry gives its highest honor to Mike Rogers for ‘dogged determination’

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November 12, 2026

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), the first Alabamian to chair the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, received the National Defense Industrial Association’s 2026 Dwight D. Eisenhower Award on Monday in Arlington, Virginia.

The Eisenhower Award is the highest honor given by NDIA, the nation’s largest defense industry association. The group announced Rogers as this year’s recipient last month.

“A sixth-generation East Alabamian, Representative Rogers has represented Alabama’s Third Congressional District since 2003,” the award citation reads. “From his service as Ranking Member to his leadership as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, he has championed military readiness, bolstered defense modernization, and promoted access to the resources necessary to meet the nation’s evolving security challenges.”

The citation gives its longest passage to the Space Force, the military branch Rogers and former Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) pushed for years before it was signed into law in 2019.

“Representative Rogers also played a defining role in championing the establishment of the United States Space Force,” the citation reads. “Recognizing space’s growing importance to national security, he worked across party lines to advance a dedicated military service focused on protecting America’s interests in this essential domain. His foresight helped prepare the Armed Forces to confront emerging threats and preserve our nation’s strategic advantage.”

John Bonsell, chairman of NDIA’s board of directors, praised Rogers when the association announced the award last month.

Bonsell said President Eisenhower understood that the country’s security depends on leaders who prepare for the future, and he credited Rogers with a “dogged determination to create the Space Force.”

NDIA gave the Eisenhower Award in 2023 to General Jay Raymond, the first chief of space operations. In June, the Air Force Historical Foundation honored Rogers with the award that carries Raymond’s name.

Rogers also led the Armed Services Committee through the fight over U.S. Space Command, which President Donald Trump named to Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal last September.

“Space Command is finally coming home to Alabama,” Rogers said at the time.

The defense industry’s citation credits Rogers for his work on how the Pentagon buys weapons. Rogers introduced the SPEED Act last year with the committee’s top Democrat, Congressman Adam Smith (D-Wash.).

“Throughout his congressional service, Representative Rogers has recognized that a strong military depends on a resilient defense industrial base,” the citation reads.

“His advocacy for American industry and the skilled workforce that equips and sustains the Armed Forces reflects an enduring commitment to readiness. Through his bipartisan leadership in introducing the SPEED Act, he championed efforts to streamline requirements, reduce regulatory burdens, and expand opportunities for innovative businesses to contribute to national defense.”

That workforce includes thousands of Alabamians. Rogers’ district is home to Anniston Army Depot, and the committee he chairs writes the annual defense bill that authorizes work at Redstone Arsenal and the shipyards in Mobile.

NDIA President and CEO David Norquist, a former deputy secretary of defense, credited Rogers with helping the country produce and deliver what its troops need.

Rogers thanked the association in a statement and said he looks forward to “continuing our work to strengthen the warfighter.”

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.