West Va. Gets First C-5, and More: The West Virginia Air National Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing has received its first C-5 airlifter, the result of a deal struck in 2002 that is to base 10 of the mammoth cargo aircraft at the Martinsburg ANG facility. The Martinsburg Journal reports that the new mission—the unit currently flies C-130 tactical airlifters—will add some 200 full-time jobs. The wing will transition to the C-5 over the next two years as it sheds its C-130s. At a an arrival ceremony, the unit christened the C-5 the “Spirit of Emma,” in honor of the late wife of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.). Byrd told the audience that the 167th AW also would be named one of USAF’s three isochronal inspection sites. The Charlestown Herald-Mail quoted Byrd as saying the more than $220 million in new construction at the ANG facility “ain’t chicken feed.”
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…
