The Military Coalition is taking note of the work being done by the Defense Advisory Committee on Military Compensation and checking it twice. (TMC is a coalition of some 30 veterans service organizations, including the Air Force Association.) At the Aug. 31 meeting of the advisory group, which is reviewing all aspects of military compensation from retirement pay to special bonuses, one committee member remarked that there has to be a limit on what the country can afford to spend on military people. Testifying on behalf of TMC, retired USAF Col. Steve Strobridge, took offense, responding that the problem is not with military compensation, but with Administration leaders who prepare a budget request that doesn’t cover defense requirements.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
