Senior Air Force officials say they were given a $15 billion budget cut across 2007-11, leaving them with scant room to wiggle. There will be personnel cuts (see below). And, the service will buy only 183 F/A-22 Raptors (number corrected from 185 following official USAF briefing on 12/13/05). The fighters will cost more per unit because the service must extend production by two years to 2010 to create a bridge to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production. All four services are taking cuts, but they all agreed USAF must buy fifth generation fighters. Say goodbye to the FB-22 bomber variant, however. Watch this space for more QDR news.
Some Guard Troops Won’t Get Paid Until Shutdown Ends
Oct. 29, 2025
The National Guard Bureau says most units are postponing drills during the shutdown, but some states are sticking to their training schedule, resulting in a patchwork of different policies and some confusion in the ranks.
