Next year, NATO will assume security and stability operations in all sectors of Afghanistan—its toughest challenge since the Balkan crisis, according to Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Jones told reporters in Washington Thursday that NATO forces are ready for the task. He noted, though, that rules of engagement are still being refined for troops in the southern and more restive section of the country. “We’ll have a satisfactory resolution to that problem,” declared Jones. He admitted that dealing with security in Afghanistan is very complicated. The nature of violence in the country right now is not “cohesive,” since it involves elements from Taliban rebels to local warlords and narcotics rings, said Jones. He believes the Kabul government has two fundamental tasks: making its presence felt in the countryside and tackling the No. 1 problem in the country’s future—the resurgent opium trade.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
