In Kennebunkport, Maine, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared fishing stories and seem to have cleared the air on the hot topic of missile defense. Just over a month ago, the Russians test fired a new ICBM, touting its ability to beat any potential missile defense system. Now, it would appear that Moscow is interested in, as Putin described it, “a gradual development of strategic partnership in the area of security” with the US and Europe. He expressed the belief that such cooperation—with the availability of a modernized Russian early warning system—would mean there is “no need to place any more facilities in Europe.” He was referring to US plans to install a missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland. President Bush at the same press conference said that Putin’s vision is “sincere” and “innovative,” but he believes the systems in Czech Republic and Poland “need to be an integral part of the system.”
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…
