Active and Reserve airmen at Barksdale AFB, La., have formed the Air Force’s first consolidated command post, which will provide a “more uniformly trained force,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Switalski, Barksdale Command Post chief. The new Total Force entity still faces several months of consolidation efforts, but once done, Switalski said, that controllers on duty, whether active or Reserve, will “be providing command and control for both wings”—the Air Combat Command 2nd Bomb Wing and Air Force Reserve Command 917th Wing. (917th Wing report by MSgt. Sherri Bohannon)
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.