Retired Gen. John P. Jumper believes the Air Force could shrink further. The former Chief of Staff was quoted in an Enid (Okla.) News & Eagle story as saying he expects USAF will have to become leaner and more flexible. He had a warning: Twenty years from now, the Air Force will still be operating 80 percent of the aircraft now in its inventory, so airmen “have to integrate what we have, keep putting things together in new ways.”
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.