The past year definitely finished on a high note for the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Air Mobility Wing. The BRAC commission overruled the Pentagon, stripping the 182nd at Greater Peoria Airport of four C-130s and eliminated a planned personnel increase. Yet, the Peoria unit, according to the Peoria Journal Star, is about to embark on a nearly $10 million construction project. It is just in the design phase, expected to be completed this spring, but the plan calls for a new 37,700 square foot squadron operations building.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.