ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--
Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) announced today the appointment of General Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), as Chair of its board of directors, effective January 1, 2026.
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“On behalf of the Armed Forces Benefit Association, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to General Craig R. McKinley for his exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment as Chair of the Board for the past 3 years. His dedication has strengthened our mission and inspired all of us to serve those who protect and defend our nation. As I look ahead, I remain committed to building on our legacy—guiding AFBA with integrity, vision, and a steadfast focus on the welfare of our members and their families. We will continue to honor our promise and advance the values that have defined AFBA since its founding,” said General Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), Chairman and President of AFBA and President of 5Star Life Insurance Company.
General Larry O. Spencer spent more than 40 years in the Air Force, beginning his career in the enlisted ranks and rising to become a four-star general. His last assignment was as the Vice Chief of Staff of the US Air Force where he assisted the Chief of Staff in organizing, training and equipping 690,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces. After retiring from the Air Force in 2015, General Spencer served as President of the Air Force Association until 2019. General Spencer received his Bachelor of Science Degree in industrial engineering technology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and has two Master of Science degrees. He currently serves on the boards of Whirlpool Corporation, Triumph Group, Inc., and Haynes International, Inc. General Spencer was named President of AFBA and 5Star Life Insurance Company in 2020.
About Armed Forces Benefit Association
With the support of the General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) was established in 1947 in the basement of the Pentagon to ease the strain on military members and their families who, at the time, could not purchase life insurance that would pay a death benefit if the member was killed in combat. Today, headquartered in Alexandria, VA, AFBA continues to honor its mission, in war and peace, promoting the welfare of its members by providing survivor and other benefits to those who serve this great nation, including members of the uniformed services, first responders, government employees, and their families. AFBA has 915,000 members with $57 billion of death benefits in force and has paid $2 billion of death benefits since inception. AFBA death benefits are primarily underwritten by its affiliate, 5Star Life Insurance Company (a Lincoln, Nebraska domiciled company). AFBA is not affiliated with any government agency.
General Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jury selection began Tuesday in the Las Vegas trial of Nathan Chasing Horse, the former “Dances with Wolves” actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls.
Prosecutors allege he used his reputation as a spiritual leader and healer to take advantage of his victims over two decades. Chasing Horse, who was present in the courtroom Tuesday, has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including sexual assault, sexual assault with a minor, first degree kidnapping of a minor and the use of a minor in producing pornography.
The case sent shock waves across Indian Country when he was arrested and indicted in early 2023. After several delays, the case finally proceeded to trial after prosecutors added allegations that Chasing Horse filmed himself sexually abusing a girl younger than 14.
Best known for portraying the character Smiles A Lot in the 1990 movie “Dances with Wolves,” Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.
After starring in the Oscar-winning film, according to prosecutors, Chasing Horse proclaimed himself to be a Lakota medicine man while traveling around North America to perform healing ceremonies.
Prosecutors say he led a cult called The Circle, and his followers believed he could speak with spirits. His victims went to him for medical help, according to a court transcript from a grand jury hearing.
One victim was 14 years old when she approached him, hoping he would heal her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. Chasing Horse previously had treated the victim’s breathing issues and her mother’s spider bite, according to a court transcript. He allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity in exchange for her mother’s health. He allegedly sexually abused her and said her mother would die if she told anyone, according to the victim’s testimony to the grand jury.
The original indictment was dismissed in 2024 after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled prosecutors abused the grand jury process when they provided a definition of grooming as evidence without any expert testimony.
The high court, specifying that the dismissal had nothing to do with Chasing Horse's innocence or guilt, left open the possibility of charges being refiled. In October 2024, the charges were refiled with the new allegations that he recorded himself sexually abusing one of his accusers.
Prosecutors have said the recordings, made in 2010 or 2011, were found on cellphones in a locked safe inside the North Las Vegas home that Chasing Horse is said to have shared with five wives, including the girl in the videos.
Jury selection is expected to take multiple days. Judge Jessica Peterson asked potential jurors if they could be fair and impartial having heard the charges. Several spoke up about past experiences of sexual assault and said they'd be biased.
The trial could last four weeks, and prosecutors plan to call 18 witnesses. A week before the trial, Chasing Horse attempted to fire his private defense attorney, saying his lawyer hadn't come to visit him. Peterson removed Chasing Horse from the courtroom when he tried to interrupt her, and she denied his request.
The case is a reminder that violence also occurs within Native communities and is not just something committed by outsiders, said Crystal Lee, CEO and founder of the organization United Natives, which offers services to victims of sexual abuse.
Chasing Horse’s trial requires hard conversations about Native perpetrators, she said.
“How do we hold them accountable?” she said. “How do we start these tough conversations?”
Judge Jessica Peterson presides of the trial of Nathan Chasing Horse on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse, right, sitting next to attorney Craig Mueller, holds a shoe as he appears for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse appears for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse appears before judge Jessica Peterson for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse, right, talks to his attorney Craig Mueller during his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
