In terms of percentage increase, the Army was the winner, with its budget showing a one-year, 12.7 percent rise. (This does not include war-related supplemental funds.) Then came the Air Force (6.3%), Navy/Marine Corps (4.9%); and DOD agencies (4.6%). In terms of total budget size, the top spot went to the Air Force ($130.4 billion), followed by the Navy/Marine Corps ($127.4 billion), the Army ($111.8 billion) and the DOD agencies ($69.7 billion). The Air Force took 29.7 percent of the budget, the Navy/Marine Corps 29 percent, the Army 25.5 percent, and DOD agencies 15.8 percent.
The average age for America’s fleet of F-15C Eagles is about 38 years old, and many of the aircraft’s spare parts are no longer produced or can take days to order from a manufacturer. Luckily, the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing has a metals technology shop at the Portland…