If the Air Force budget number ($130.4 billion) seems a tad high in comparison to the other services (Army at $111.8 billion; Navy/Marine Corps at $127.4 billion), it’s probably because the DOD number includes what is termed non-blue dollars—$24.5 billion to be precise. The Air Force-specific 2007 budget amount is actually $105.9 billion, which is only slightly more than the $105.5 billion enacted for fiscal 2006. The nearly $25 billion “extra” the Pentagon would allocate to USAF goes toward programs and functions that support other services not the blue Air Force.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
