The Air Force’s RC-135 Rivet Joint force now can claim to have been continuously deployed for 6,000 days. Last fall, we noted that one of the airmen who maintain this high demand/low density electronic reconnaissance aircraft has deployed 18 times to Southwest Asia since 1993. Over the years, the Air Force has upgraded the Rivet Joint, giving the 1960s-vintage platform new engines, updated cockpit avionics, and improved mission equipment, which enables the Cold War warrior to switch from strategic to tactical support—talking with warfighters on the ground—on a single sortie.
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…
