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 Air Force is seeking funding to let its pilots fly a little more than 1.1 million hours in fiscal 2027, which would be the most in about four years. But even if Airmen actually do fly all 1.1 million hours, it would still be short of the 1.3 million…