It’s a “Scary” Thought All Right:
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) posed a question for the new Congressional Guard and Reserve Commission to ponder: What would happen to the air bridge to Southwest Asia if the Guard and Reserve aircrews “all of a sudden” stopped flying? Graham, who is an Air Force Reservist himself, provided the answer: “I think it would be a scary scenario for this country.” Graham earlier noted, “The air bridge between the United States and the Mideast is being flown predominantly by reservists.” And, that doesn’t count the Air Guardsmen and Reservists who fly within the theater. Graham, as were other lawmaker witnesses at the first commission hearing last week, was concerned that the reserve components are being utilized at an all-time high with no end in sight. Graham does not believe the current “amazingly good” recruiting and retention can “sustain itself.”
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…

